The Color Red
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Fem Gaara x Sasuke. The color red meant a lot to Gina. Red was the color of her hair. Red was the color of blood. Red was the color of passion and anger. Red was also the color of his eyes at least some of the time. Red was a color that couldn't be ignored. Neither could this feeling, despite her best efforts.
1. Chapter 1

The Color Red

Author's Note: This is a **female Gaara x Sasuke story.** If that isn't your thing, you might want to turn back now. In this Gaara was born female. This isn't a sexy jutsu situation. My Suki x Naruto stories have been well received. So I thought we'd spice it up a bit and I'd live up to the profile pic I have. ^^. Reviews are greatly appreciated. **Female Gaara will be known as Gina.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from any of my stories.

Chapter Warnings: Possibly OOC at times in the interest of comedy. Kankuro and Temari make incorrect assumptions about Gina's lovelife. Tsunade was Hokage in the flashback, Kakashi training under her. Naruto is Hokage for the rest of the story. We'll say that the Rookie Nine and Sand Siblings are all in their 20's.

Chapter One

The color red meant a lot to Gina. Obviously, she was a red head. Red was the color of blood. Her childhood had been bathed in blood.

She wasn't proud of the influence that the One Tails used to have on her. But it was just a part of who she was. Her only way to validate her existence had been to end the existence of others. Before Naruto, even her own siblings had been terrified of her and for good reason.

Red was also the color of anger and passion. It wasn't a color that could easily be overlooked. But the most important reason why red was so significant to the Fifth Kazekage? It was simple. The Sharingan was red. The Sharingan belonged to HIM.

 _She remembered the day that she realized that she should probably seek professional help. It had been shortly after the Ninja War. The Daimyos and Kage were meeting to decide the fate of a certain Uchiha. Being the Kazekage, she was invited._

 _"We should just execute him. He attacked a Kage Summit. That alone is worthy of the death penalty." The Raikage had said._

 _"But he also helped us to defeat Madara. Besides, it'd be a waste to kill such a pretty face." Mei had offered._

 _"You both have a point. Though that last part Mei, was disturbing. The boy is almost young enough to be your son." The Stone Kage contributed._

 _"The smarter move would be to kill him. But the brat would never forgive us." Tsunade weighs in._

 _"We can make it look like an accident. He's a monster in the making. We do not need a second Madara." The Raikage rose to his feet and walked over to the bound Uchiha, who was currently drained of chakra from the final battle._

 _"That's right. Kill me when I can't fight back. Coward." Sasuke spat at him, his voice full of venom._

 _The Raikage goes to deliver a death blow. Suddenly a loud cry of pain is heard and a crash. Gina's sand had slammed him against the wall, away from the Uchiha._

 _"If you touch him, I will kill you." She hisses._

 _"You would side over that traitor over another Kage?!" He bellows in outrage._

 _The other Kage were too stunned to say anything. Gina had stunned herself. Her sand had moved before her mind had even realized it._

 _She'd voiced those words without considering their consequences. But she knew that deep down she meant them. She just didn't know why. She just couldn't let the light go out in those ruby red eyes._

 _"It wasn't long ago, that my village considered me just as much a monster as you consider him now." She growls at him._

 _"That was different Lady Kazekage and you damn well know it. You had a demon forced inside you. You had no say in the matter. The Uchiha was in his right mind and chose to not only betray the Leaf, but to attack all of us." The Raikage says to her._

 _"It was no different. Naruto's friendship saved me. It might do the same for him. Besides, if you kill him…I would worry more about what Naruto will do than I would the Uchiha. There is nothing more dangerous than an angel who falls from grace." She warns him._

 _"Kid has a point. God only knows what the brat would do." Tsunade sighs._

 _Suddenly the doors of the Summit are kicked open. Naruto and Kakashi head inside. The blonde immediately darts to Sasuke's side._

 _"Sorry we are late. I suppose our invitation got lost in the mail." Kakashi chuckles._

 _Somehow they got the other Kage and the Daimyos to agree to spare Sasuke's life. Kakashi really was a miracle worker. Naruto was a force of nature. Gina's little display also probably helped. The other Kage were too shocked to really argue._

It was years later. Last she heard, Sasuke had gone on some Journey of Redemption. Naruto had now taken over for Kakashi. The blonde had achieved his dream of becoming Hokage. She was happy for her friend.

"Temari. Kankuro. Are you ready? If we leave now we should arrive in the Leaf before nightfall on the third day." The red head asks.

"Yeah! We are all set. Temari just had to make sure her precious dress was safely packed." Kankuro teases.

"In her defense, it is a beautiful dress." Gina's relationship with Temari had always been more distant than with her brother, but she finds herself agreeing with Temari that the dress should be protected.

"Thank you, Gina!" Temari says and glares at Kankuro.

"Women and their wedding dresses. I swear it's like psychotic. It's really unhealthy how attached you all get to those things." He says.

"Temari, you have my permission to beat him." Gina states casually and goes on ahead.

"Thanks!" Temari says and gets out her fan, prepared to teach her brother some manners.

Kankuro ended up getting pretty beat up. The middle child of the Sand Siblings learned a valuable lesson that day. Do not get in the middle of a woman and her wedding dress.

Three days later, the Leaf slowly, but surely comes into view. That's when Kankuro noticed something odd about Gina's behavior. She wasn't walking towards the Leaf, she was running.

"What the?" Kankuro asks.

"She sees Naruto." Temari answers.

"Oh. I guess that explains it. She must be excited to see him. It's been awhile." The man says.

"Looks like the Uchiha is with him." Temari adds.

"Oh great. Just fucking great." Kankuro mutters.

The Uchiha to put it mildly, in Kankuro's opinion was a bomb waiting to go off at any second. But he couldn't help but smile at how happy his younger sister was to see Naruto. She was actually smiling, a real one.

"She really missed him." Temari marvels out loud.

He couldn't help but wonder if maybe she loved the blonde as more than a friend. It was hard to tell. To say that Gina was emotionally stunted, was an understatement.

It wasn't that she was stupid or childlike. Far from it, Gina was one of the most mature people he'd ever known. At the age of 17, she had been a Kage and helped to lead a war effort. But when it came to normal, everyday relationships…she was still learning. Recently, he had to explain the significance of birthdays and why it was a good idea to buy your friends birthday presents.

"Yeah. Looks like it." Kankuro agrees.

Little did they know that while Gina was happy to see Naruto, he wasn't the one that caused her eyes to light up. She couldn't explain it herself. Logically, she should be happy to see Naruto and suspicious of Sasuke. But whenever she saw the last Uchiha, it stirred a reaction in her.

It was a high. A high similar to the one she got before a battle. Maybe it was just a matter of recognizing a worthy opponent. She enjoyed fighting Naruto as well.

"Gina!" Naruto cries out happily and rushes over to embrace her.

Gina blinks. She still was not used to this…whole touching without the intent to harm thing. She was getting used to things like handshakes or someone offering a hand. Hugging, however, still felt alien to her. Naruto though, well such affectionate gestures came naturally to the blonde.

"Loser, are you trying to suffocate her?" Sasuke asks dryly.

"Oh! Whoops. Sorry Gina. I just am really excited to see you. Hey, Temari. Hey, Kankuro." He says and lets go of the flustered red head, who shoots a grateful look at Sasuke.

Sasuke nods his head. Thankfully, he had the decency not to make any other indication of his "help." Naruto, Temari, and Kankuro were too busy engaging in small talk to notice this exchange.

"So Gina, now that you are here. I can't wait to show you the ramen shop! It has the best ramen anywhere!" He says excitedly.

Sasuke smacks his forehead with his hand. Even Kankuro joins him in this gesture. Temari rubs the back of her head sheepishly like some things never change. This was Naruto after all. Naruto and ramen went together like ninjas and kunais.

"Alright." Gina says and is suddenly pulled off by the excited blonde.

"Sometimes I can't tell if he's a ninja or an overgrown Golden Retriever." Sasuke remarks.

"Hate to say it, but you have a point." Kankuro says.

"Well we should probably go and make sure that he doesn't choke on that ramen as he's inhaling it." Temari states.

"Yeah." They agree and follow the other ninjas.

A few minutes later, they were all at the ramen shop. Gina wanted to kill something or someone. There was entirely too much giggling going on. Some of it was coming from ninjas for Godsakes!

She understood it to a certain extent. Naruto was a war hero. Sasuke was the anti hero. Both of them were in Temari's words, _Really fucking hot._ But come on a little composure would have been nice. Oh well she'd give them something to talk about.

"Uchiha, I think we are long overdue to finish our match." She says.

"Our match?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

"We never officially finished our Chunin match. Naruto butted in." She clarifies.

"Yeah. Alright, name the time and place." He smirks.

It'd be good to have a REAL challenge. At this point, Naruto was the only one who was brave enough to challenge him. But he and Naruto knew each other inside and out.

There were no more surprises. That and they couldn't go all out anymore. If they did, they'd probably destroy the village.

Gina on the other hand, she was a Kage. While she wouldn't be able to give him as good a run for his money as Naruto, at least he wouldn't have to worry about breaking her. That and it'd be some variety. Who knows, maybe she might have developed a new move or two since the last time they fought?

"We should give those Genin something to aspire to. How about before their matches in the Arena?" She suggests.

"You really want to lose with everyone watching?" He smirks.

"Arrogant. You know as well as I do that in the Arena neither of us would be able to all out. There would be certain restrictions, if only to make sure that no one in the crowd gets crushed by falling debris." She reasons.

"You want a handicap." He says.

"I don't want a handicap, but it's a necessary evil." She replies with as close to a shrug as she ever got.

"Guess so. It makes it more interesting, having to use low and medium level attacks. More strategy." He states.

"So is that a yes?" She asks.

"It's a yes. Besides, I'm bored only fighting his dumbass." Sasuke admits.

"HEY, BASTARD I'M SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU! You know I can hear you right?!" Naruto growls.

"And you know that I'm not deaf, right?" Sasuke replies with a smirk.

"Well it was nice seeing you guys, but I'm going to go let Shikamaru know I'm here." Temari says.

"Sure! See you later Temari." Naruto says and Sasuke nods to show that he'd heard her.

"I'm gonna go get us a couple rooms at the hotel before they get sold out." Kankuro informs Gina.

"Good idea." She agrees.

"Cya Kankuro." Naruto chirps and Sasuke gives a half hearted wave as he orders a drink.

"You two sure about the whole fighting each other thing? I mean last time it didn't go so well. I remember having to save the bastard's ass." Naruto says.

"That was when she had the demon." Sasuke scoffs.

"It will give the Genin something to aspire to. Let them see Kage level combat." She says.

"But Sasuke isn't a Kage." The blonde points out.

"No. But you are both Kage level. The Five Kage fought Madara and lost. You two fought him and won." Gina states.

"Yeah. I guess I see your point when you put it like that. So you are showing off for the kids?" Naruto asks.

"Something like that." She says.

"I just want a decent fight with someone who isn't you." Sasuke replies.

"Hey, Gina. Thanks for walking the bastard. I'll have to make sure he's up to date on his shots before your match." Naruto teases.

"Did you just talk about me like I was a fucking dog?" Sasuke demands and twitches.

"What you aren't going to get him fixed first as well?" Gina asks with a smirk.

"Oh I know you didn't just say that!" Sasuke growls.

"I did. What was that second goal of yours? I don't seem to see an army of mini Uchihas running around. Did he already take you to the vet?" Gina asks dryly.

"Whoa. Gina, nice one. I didn't know you could trash talk!" Naruto exclaims.

"I've been watching Mei and Tsunade interact. I've learned a few things." Gina says and lets out an undignified eep when Sasuke pushes her against a wall.

"Still think I'm more bark than bite?" Sasuke demands.

"Uchiha, people are staring." Gina says.

It was true. Everyone was now looking at the very odd sight of the last Uchiha having pinned the Kazekage against the wall. They were confused. Was it an attack or not? The sand wasn't protecting her. But if it wasn't an attack, it looked far too intimate.

"Let them stare. Take it back." He demands.

Gina was about to loose her footing. She wraps her arms around his neck and can feel her face heating up at how suggestive the position as starting to look. Damn it. She had really bitten off more than she could chew here.

"Alright. I take it back." She murmurs.

"Good." He says and moves away, letting her get away from the wall.

"Yeah." She says a little shaken and tries to hide her blush.

"Why didn't your sand defend you?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"It knew you were more bark than bite in that instance." She says with a laugh and runs off.

"So that's what she's like without the demon?" Sasuke asks Naruto.

"Honestly, never seen her like that before. She has a dry sense of humor but she's never been a trash talker before. I think she's just competitive with you cause you were the first to land a hit on her. She's still got the scar by the way." Naruto adds.

"Am I supposed to feel guilty about that?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Nah. It was a fair fight. Just thought you'd be happy to know how much of a punch your Chidori packed even back then." He says.

"Good to know." Sasuke agrees.

Gina heads off to find Kakashi and Tsunade. She bites her lower lip. She probably should have asked if they could fight during the Chunin Exams before asking the Uchiha. But as was always the case with him, she acted first and asked questions later.

"Tsunade. Kakashi. I have a small favor to ask." She asks them because they were in charge of organizing the exams. (Naruto was hopeless when it came to things like that, Hokage or not.)

"What is it?" Tsunade asks curiously.

"I want to fight the Uchiha before the battle round of the Chunin Exams. We never got to finish our match. He already agreed. We will only use low level and medium level attacks by our standards." She states in a rush.

"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi asks her.

"Do you know what counts as a medium level attack by his standards?" Tsunade asks and raises an eyebrow.

"I know. That's why I challenged him. A Kage shouldn't rest on his or her past glories. His attack on the Kage Summit proved that." She responds.

"Do you realize that it might cause a panic if he beats you in public?" Kakashi asks.

"It will be a fair fight. Besides, I'm sure the public knows what he is capable of. And I'm NOT going to lose." She says.

"Well if he can't use the Rinnegan, Amaterasu, or Susanoo, it should be a relatively even match. You're right. There's no reason to assume that you wouldn't win." Tsunade concedes.

"I'm going to fight him with or without your permission. Whether it is in public or private is irrelevant. At least this way, we can give the Genin something to aspire to." She informs them.

"You are really set on this. I didn't take you to be as stubborn as Naruto." Kakashi chuckles.

"I can be when it's something I want." She says.

"And you want to risk a trip to the ICU." Tsunade says and shakes her head.

"I want to test my limits. Naruto would never allow me to do that. He'll go easy on me. The Uchiha won't." She adds.

"Alright. You have our permission. Mostly because it's better to have such a match done in a supervised fashion." Tsunade says with a sigh.

"Thank you." Gina says and seems entirely too pleased with herself.

"A good fight really does have a way of getting one's blood pumping." Tsunade states, seeing her reaction, and deciding to comment on it.

"Yes." Gina agrees.

"Well your sister is getting married after these exams. You should probably help her prepare." Kakashi offers.

"I can try. But honestly, I don't know anything about weddings. So I'm not sure how much help I'll be." The Kazekage admits.

"You'll help just by being there." Tsunade offers good naturedly .

"Maybe. Good day Lady Hokage, Kakashi." She says and flits off.

Meanwhile Sasuke heads out of the ramen shop. Naruto had paperwork to do. Sasuke didn't. He decides to go see if Shikamaru needed help with the wedding. (Mostly he just wanted to watch the lazy Leaf ninja and feisty Sand ninja interact.)

"Yes, we need a guest list! We need to know how many seats we need and how much food to order." Temari tells Shikamaru.

"But it's such a drag. Come on, you have invited half of the Sand Village and half of the Leaf. That's not even counting the Kage and their bodyguards." He says.

"I have to go check on the wedding venue. You better be working on that list when I get back." She informs him.

"Alright! Alright!" Shikamaru gives up and Temari leaves.

"You are so whipped." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Yeah. I guess. She's so high maintenance. But I love her and the sex is definitely not a drag." Shikamaru says with a shrug.

"Did you ever use your Shadow Possession Jutsu while you were…?" Sasuke asks.

' "…You know I hadn't actually thought of that. That's brilliant." Shikamaru says with a smirk.

"So I heard from Temari that Gina challenged you to a fight before the Chunin Exams?" He asks.

"She did." Sasuke confirms.

"Sand women are just a different breed from the Leaf." Shikamaru says.

"How do you figure? I only know Temari and Gina." Sasuke says.

"Feistier. More direct I guess. That and more creative." He says.

"Creative like how?" He asks.

"The Tribal Dance." He answers.

"She actually got you to dance with her? Damn she's good." Sasuke laughs.

"It's not that kind of dance." Shikamaru tells him.

"Ohhh. It's a…" Sasuke trails off.

"Sex position, yeah. I recommend it if you ever get laid." The lazy ninja tells him.

An unlikely friendship had sprung up after Sasuke returned to the Leaf. Naruto just wouldn't leave Sasuke the fuck alone until he tried to make other friends. He had ended up challenging Shikamaru to a game of shogi, mostly because the cloud watcher was quiet. He'd lost badly. (But Shikamaru told him he lasted twice as long as Asuma had the first time.)

Sasuke having suffered a blow to his pride, challenged him again and again. Somewhere during this rivalry, they became friends. It was nice to have someone he could talk to without having fists fly. His friendship with Shikamaru was different than the one he had with Naruto. It was less intense. It was calmer.

They were now close enough that Sasuke got an invite to the wedding. He wasn't going to be Shikamaru's bestman. That honor belonged to Choji. Sasuke wasn't jealous. Choji and Shikamaru had been friends since the Academy. So that one was expected.

"And Naruto is just going to let you fight Gina?" He asks.

"He's not letting me do anything. She challenged me. It's not like she needs his permission." Sasuke says, not sure why he felt irritated at that question.

"You know how protective he is of her." Shikamaru says.

"Do you think they are …doing the Tribal Dance?" Sasuke asks.

"Doubt it. Naruto's too innocent. While Gina isn't…honestly don't think the thought would occur to her. Plus if they were together, Temari would have told me." He adds as an afterthought.

"Yeah. Guess so. The loser wouldn't know what to do with a woman if he got her alone." Sasuke says.

"And you would of course make an army of mini Uchihas." Shikamaru says with a smirk.

"…How'd you know about that?" The last Uchiha asks.

"Temari was there at the ramen shop. She told me about it. Genius. Like I said, Sand women are feistier." He says.

.


	2. Chapter 2

The Color Red

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews. This story is definitely flying under the radar. I expect that's mostly because Sasuke x Gaara is such a rare pairing. I did the Chunin Match here. I am working on my fight scenes. I feel they are much cooler on my head than when I typed them out. But practice makes perfect. We start this chapter off with some comic relief. Temari and Shikamaru are getting married, so naturally…bachelor/bachelorette party discussions take place. This story is rated M, so I'm hoping that isn't too over the line for our readers.

Chapter Two

"Temari, do I really have to attend? I don't feel comfortable in such an environment." Gina says.

"You are my sister. Of course you have to come to my bachelorette party." She informs her.

"I honestly don't understand this tradition. You are getting married to someone and pledging your fidelity, yet right before that you want to go out and stare at mostly naked men?" She questions.

"It's more about a last hurray with your best friends. It's the last chance you get to really be naughty. Besides, it might be good for you to actually have some fun for once. You work way too hard." The blonde tells her.

"Having a bunch of strangers disrobe in my presence isn't my idea of fun." The red head insists.

"Gina…are you even straight?" Temari asks.

"What do you mean by straight?" Gina asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you like men?" The bride to be asks.

"I like men and women." She answers, clearly not getting it.

"I mean are you sexually attracted to them? I mean romantically. Like me and Shikamaru." She clarifies.

"Oh. I haven't really thought about it much." Gina replies honestly.

"It's okay if you prefer women. I'm just curious. We never really talked about it before. Well we never really talked about much of anything really." The blonde says with some sadness.

"How would you know if you were attracted to someone in such a fashion?" The red head asks.

"…You really haven't thought about this much." The blonde muses.

"It's a legitimate question." Gina states and crosses her arms defensively.

"Well you like to look at them. Your heart sometimes skips a beat. You feel your blood pumping. You feel excited." She tries to explain.

"Like before a fight?" She questions.

"In a way…but without the fear or anxiety." She answers.

"Oh. Then yes, I prefer men." She answers.

"Good to know. So you'll enjoy the Bachelorette Party." She says with a smile.

"I like men. I don't like strangers trying to give me a lap dance." She states dryly.

"That's okay. They'd be more likely to give me the dance than you. I'm the one getting married." She reassures her.

"I'll humor you. But if I don't like it, I can leave early?" She asks.

"Deal." Temari says with a smile.

Meanwhile, Naruto heads over to see Sasuke and Shikamaru. Shikamaru was one of his friends since the Academy after all. Besides, the blonde was curious to see how the wedding preparations were going.

"So you are going to my bachelor party, right?" He asks Sasuke.

"HAHAHA. As if the Ice Prince would be caught dead at a strip club." Naruto laughs as he comes into view.

"I'll go." Sasuke says and shocks the Hell out of Naruto by saying so.

"Wait, who are you and what have you done with Sasuke?" The blonde demands to know.

"Shikamaru is my friend. I have to be there to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Temari would kill him if he did more than look. Besides, I like to look as much as the next guy. It's just my tastes are a bit too exotic for this village." He says.

"Oh you like to look? Since when?! I've never seen you even look at someone. Alright, bastard…spill. What gets you going?" He demands to know.

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

"But you'll have it with Shikamaru!" Naruto protests.

"Shikamaru isn't going to be annoying about it, like you would." Sasuke counters.

"Just tell him. He's going to be a drag otherwise." Shikamaru points out.

"Yeah. I guess. Fine…red heads." Sasuke admits.

"Really? I guess that does explain a lot. We don't have any red heads in our village, unless you count Karin. Wait so does that mean you want Karin?" He asks.

"Karin is more…hot pink than red. Besides, she's flat as a board." He states with a shrug.

"Whoa! I didn't know you were a pervert like that, bastard! So you like big boobs. How big? Like we talking Tsunade level?" He asks.

"If Tsunade finds out you were looking at her breasts, she'll kill you loser." Sasuke says rolling his eyes.

"I wasn't! I mean not on purpose. They are just BAM right in your face, you know?" Naruto laughs.

"Tsunade level isn't…found in nature." Sasuke says and shakes his head.

"Yeah. Those can't possibly be real." Shikamaru chimes in.

"Must be some kind of jutsu." Sasuke agrees.

"Oh come on. You don't think she'd actually use a jutsu to do that?" Naruto wonders.

"She's a medic. If anyone would know how to do it, it'd be her." Shikamaru points out.

"Guess that's true." Naruto concedes.

Gina leaves her sister. She was surprised to be cornered by the Stone Kage. There really was no other word for it. He must have been waiting for her.

"Was there something you need?" She asks.

"I heard that you are planning to fight the Uchiha at the Chunin Exams. Have you lost your mind? You know what he's capable of. He's a killer, Lady Kazekage. A leopard doesn't change their spots." The elderly Kage answers her.

"I haven't lost my mind. Yes, I'm well aware of what he's capable of. That's why I challenged him. He was just pardoned. The Uchiha is many things but he isn't stupid. He's not dumb enough to go too far with such an audience. Besides, it is my decision. No one else's." She informs him.

"I understand your reasons for arguing against his execution. But this is a bridge too far. It's one thing to want him alive for Naruto's sake and because you believe in redemption. It's another thing entirely to tempt fate in such a manner." He continues.

"I appreciate your concern. Though I am hurt that you are implying you think I would lose." She says.

"It is nothing against your abilities as a ninja. You are one of the most powerful ninjas alive today. You wouldn't be a Kage if you weren't. But Sasuke is basically a demon." He tries to explain his reasoning.

"Basically a demon? Then I should have the edge. I had a demon inside me for over a decade. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Gina reassures him.

"I'm sure the Lady Kazekage knows what she's doing." Gina hears someone say, she vaguely recognized him as Shibuki the leader of the Waterfall Village.

"You can't possibly support this. You know what he's like!" The Stone Kage insists.

"I met him once when he was a boy. He and the rest of Team Seven protected my village. I knew him before he…lost his way. With Naruto's help, I'm sure he will find it again." Shibuki states.

"You're both mad. The both of you." The Stone Kage heads off with a huff.

"Thank you." Gina murmurs.

"You would have done the same for me, I hope. Besides, I think it is a good idea." He says.

"You do?" She asks in surprise.

"Yes. It will show people that he is capable of controlling his…violent impulses. It will also drum up interest in the exams and be good for the Leaf's economy. It's very brave of you to face him like that." He continues.

"Not really. He's not going to go for a kill shot. We agreed to restrictions so the stadium doesn't get…blown up." She says.

"Well that's good. I've never been to the Leaf before. Would you like to have dinner with me? I don't really know anyone other than the Kages and Team Seven. I don't know where they wandered off too though. It'd be nice to have company." He explains.

"Oh. I already ate. Naruto drug me to the ramen shop. But sure, I'll show you a place where you can grab something." She answers and heads off with him.

She took him to the ramen shop. It was the closest by. Besides, Kankuro and Naruto were always encouraging her to make friends. The leader of the Waterfall Village seemed nice enough. Dinner with him was a less boisterous affair than with Naruto and Sasuke. It never entered Gina's mind that the other leader might have had more than friendship on his mind.

A few days later, it was time for the battle portion of the Chunin Exams to start. Gina had decided just to dawn her Kage robes for the occasion. If she bled or got dirty during the fight, she wanted it seen. She wanted the audience to know it was a real battle.

"Well ladies and gentlemen…this is unexpected. But it appears that the Kazekage and Sasuke Uchiha are going to finish their match from their own Chunin Exams. I want a good clean fight. No lethal shots!" He tells them.

The crowd was stunned. You could have heard a pin drop. But then Naruto decides to break the silence by applauding. Well since Naruto thought it was safe, everyone joins in and soon the thunderous applause was almost deafening.

"On the count of three begin. Remember if either yields the match stops instantly or if someone is unable to get up for ten seconds. Knock out blows also end the match. 3...2...1. BEGIN!" The announcer says.

"Don't hold back." Gina says.

"Not in my nature." Sasuke says and charges straight at the red head, the Chidori glowing blue in his hand.

"And Sasuke is coming out swinging, right out of the gate." The announcer calls out.

"Good. It's not in mine either." Gina says and her sand rises up to block his attack.

She forms a sand clone behind the barrier. His Chidori would be able to pierce a hole through it and the attack would strike the clone. Sasuke might expect a clone from Naruto, but it wasn't her style. That should trip him up nicely.

Sasuke smirks. Some things never change. He didn't know why she bothered.

His Chidori had pierced through her sand when they were twelve. Unless she had somehow strengthened it since then, she had to know the result of that defense. Maybe she just figured it'd take the brunt of the attack and give her time to dodge?

Yes, it shattered through. He could see Gina. He knew it'd take a lot more than a Chidori to really knock her out of commission. So he decides to let the attack slam into her.

Something was off though. The red head didn't cry out in pain. Then he saw what was wrong. That wasn't Gina. That was a fucking clone.

"That was unexpectedly sneaky. You are usually more direct than that." Sasuke says and his eyes look around for her.

"Looks like the Kazekage pulled a fast one." The announcer calls out and some cheers are heard from the crowd.

"A ninja should expect the unexpected." Gina says from behind him and lets a giant fist of sand slam into his back, sending the Uchiha flying.

Sasuke grunts. He'd taken harder hits. But that wasn't anything to sneeze at. Still he got the impression she was holding back. He knew fully well that she hadn't batted an eyelash at crushing Lee's spine.

"The Kazekage got a hit in! But the Sasuke is soldiering on!" The announce states.

"You can do better than that." He calls out.

"You're right. That was a warm up." She says and the sand flurries around her protectively.

"FIREBALL JUTSU PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" He yells and sends the flames at the red head.

"Do we have fire insurance on this stadium?" The announcer calls out nervously, much to the delight of the crowd.

Gina darts to the side. But Sasuke's fire was fast. Faster than the stationary fighter. She cries out when she feels the flames lick at her arm, before the sand wraps around her protectively.

"Shit! The Kazekage got burned there." The announcer cries out.

"Oh I'm sorry, was I too rough for you?" Sasuke asks with a smirk.

"I like it rough. It's not worth winning if it's easy." She states and uses her sand to propel her about fifty feet into the air.

"…A little taunting can anger your opponent and make them sloppy. Remember that for your own battles, aspiring Chunin." He states into his microphone and was a little disturbed by how suggestive that sounded.

Sasuke summons Aoda to even out the height difference. Gina looked… well less than thrilled at seeing the giant snake. Was the red head scared of snakes?

"Are you afraid of snakes?" He mocks her.

"No. I'm just wondering why you feel the need to overcompensate with a snake that large? What is it with men and giant summons?" She muses.

"…Have you been hanging out with Sai?" Sasuke asks.

"No. Who is Sai?" The Kazekage asks genuinely curious.

"Nevermind." Sasuke says and he charges right at her.

"HEY! WE HAVE KIDS WATCHING THIS MATCH, YOU KNOW!" The announcer bellows.

Sasuke and Gina couldn't possibly give a care less. They just ignored the announcer. It was a sight to behold. Most of the people in the audience, couldn't even follow the match with their eyes. They saw white/red blur and a black/white/blue blur. The sounds of Sasuke's sword and Gina's sand sword could be heard clashing.

Sasuke was definitely faster. But the Kazekage was able to use her sand to slow him down enough to keep them relatively even. So far neither had landed a "serious hit."

"It looks like we are locked in a stalemate! Look at them go folks!" The announcer cries out.

Sasuke smirks. He had really needed this. Naruto always gave him a challenge. But they knew each other's moves inside and out. Gina was more of a strategist than the blonde. She knew he was faster, so she used the sand to slow him down and keep pace.

"So when did you start using a sword?" He comes flying at her, slamming his fist into her shoulder.

"OH AND THE KAZEKAGE TAKES A HIT!" The announcer screeches.

"AHHH! I started practicing after the war." She replies and slams her sand sword into his side.

It drew blood. But it was more superficial than anything else. Still there was something fascinating to see that white shirt begin to turn red.

"The Kazekage draws first blood!" He states.

That wasn't the only thing bleeding red though. Sasuke just activated his Sharingan. Fuck he wasn't kidding around now.

"You're pretty good. Too bad for you, I'm better." He snarls and forms a clone behind her.

"Uh oh. Play time is over. Sasuke has activated the Sharingan." The announcer says.

"Dammit!" She mutters and manages to rear her sand up enough to block the clone's attack, but not the real Sasuke's crushing kick to her knee.

"Ouch that looked like a painful hit to the knee." He says..

Gina hisses in pain and sinks to her knee. Sasuke goes in for a Lion's Barrage. She quickly forms a shield of sand to protect herself from the flurry of crushing blows and kicks.

"Sasuke is using a Lion's Barrage, but just can't seem to break through the Sand." He continues.

Sasuke gives the announcer a look like oh really? Trust, Gina to get up a defense that quickly. Well…he'd just have to get creative.

He channels the Chidori in his feet and slams them into the sand, shattering it. Gina barely had time to roll away to avoid being stomped on.

"AND HE BROKE THROUGH FOLKS." The announcer yells.

Sasuke smirks and saw his opportunity. He tackles Gina, pinning her arms above her head and straddles her waist, using his weight to keep her down. He only needed to keep her pinned for ten seconds and then he would win.

"He's really annoying." Gina mutters.

"Oh yeah. Your ears bleeding, yet?" Sasuke asks.

"Close to it. I'm almost tempted to let you win, just so I don't have to listen to his voice. But I'm enjoying it too much, to end it for the sake of my eardrums." She tells him.

"Gina, I have you pinned. You aren't getting out of it in the next five seconds." He tells her.

"Watch me." She says and the sand forms a battering ram, smashing into Sasuke from the side and throwing him off of her.

"DAMMIT!" Sasuke growls and idly curses the fact that the Sharingan didn't have nearly 360 degree vision like the Byakugan.

"You didn't think it'd be that easy." She taunts him.

"And the Kazekage isn't down for the count after all." The announcer says.

"If it was, I'd be disappointed." He smirks and sends dozens of kunais flying at her.

She blocked them, as he expected her to. He uses his speed to get behind her and slams his foot into her back. The red head cries out and goes flying from the force of the kick.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Sasuke asks mockingly.

"No. But you will be." She growls and sends her sand flying at him.

Sasuke barely had time to jump back. But Gina had time to get back on her feet and split her sand into several pieces. She smirks, let's see him dodge all of them.

"You've got to be kidding me." She mutters when he manages to dodge them all.

Gina growls in frustration and does the one thing he'd never expect. She attacked him head on. She sends a punch flying straight at his face. Predictably, he blocked. Not so predictably though, he grabbed her arm and spun her around, so she was in front of him and he had her by said arm.

"Just give up." He murmurs into her ear.

"Never." She says.

"Do you want me to break your arm?" He asks her.

"No…but I've had worse." She reaches her leg up and kicks him in the stomach HARD, sending him back a couple inches.

"This looks like it could go on for awhile, folks." The announcer says.

"Alright." Sasuke says and soon enough they are exchanging a flurry of punches and kicks.

Naruto blinks, watching from the stands. Sasuke was going easy on her. He definitely had an edge in Taijutsu over Gina. Gina relied almost exclusively on her sand in battle. Even if she had been practicing her hand to hand combat, she wouldn't have been able to close the gap that much.

He also noted something strange. Gina was actually smiling as they exchanged blows. Sasuke was smirking. That was as close to smiling as Sasuke ever got. Believe him, he knew that bastard.

"No way." Naruto mutters to himself.

Sasuke had once told him that experienced ninjas could communicate through their fists alone. Well there was a Hell of a lot of communication going on down there.

Gina wasn't using her sand. She wasn't serious about beating him. Sasuke could have easily overpowered the red head in a situation like that. But he didn't.

It was…play fighting? There was almost an element of eroticism to it. The way their bodies moved in perfect sink. Both dodging and throwing their attacks in perfect harmony. Just enough to make it look serious, without hurting the other too much if the hit landed.

Sasuke was enjoying himself. He always enjoyed a good fight. Even if this one wasn't serious, she could give him enough of a challenge that his blood was pumping. That's when he felt something wet on his foot.

He looks down and saw it was blood. Blood from the flesh wound that she had given him earlier. It had split open more. It wasn't enough to be in serious fear of his life. But it was bad enough that he knew he had to end this and get patched up. So he darts behind her.

"Thank you for trusting me." He says and knocks her out with a blow to the back of her head.

"Sasuke Uchiha has won the match and seems to be in need of a medic." The announcer says.

Karin comes rushing out onto the field. She leads Sasuke off, Sasuke casts a last glance at Gina and follows her. He tried to tell Karin it wasn't that serious of a wound. But she wouldn't listen.

He bites her arm. As much as that girl had been turned into a human chew toy, she seemed to get an almost sexual kick out of his bite. It was a bit disturbing really.

Naruto rushes to the ring and picks Gina up. He carries her bridal style off to the VIP section of the ring. He knew that Sasuke had just knocked her out. It wasn't like he'd given her a concussion or anything. He'd pulled that same trick with Sakura when he left the village all those years ago.

"I told her she was being foolish." The Stone Kage says.

"She fought well. We both know that if they had been seriously fighting, someone would have died. Sasuke controlled himself." Mei states.

"You call knocking a Kage unconscious, controlling himself?!" The Stone Kage thunders.

Life was strange, Sasuke thought to himself. He remembered back to his own Chunin Exams. Gina had wanted to kill him. He had injured her. His brother had helped to kill her by extracting the One Tails. After everything, she actually trusted him to fight her in a fair match.

Other than Naruto, he couldn't think of another person that would do likewise. And let's face it, Naruto had no sense of self preservation whatsoever. Gina did. If she believed there was a chance her life would be genuinely at risk, she wouldn't have challenged him.

With that little move, she had done more to restore his reputation, than he had with his Journey of Redemption in years. Thanks to her he had demonstrated to all of the ninja world that he was capable of fighting without reverting back to his old ways. Most in the ninja world were still wary of him. It was understandable. But not her.

"Was she trying to help me?" He mutters to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. ^^ I'm glad that the reception for this oddball pairing has been positive. I do try to take all requests or feedback into consideration. As for the people who were interested in Karin x Naruto, I decided to make them a side pairing. I don't know how much screen time they'll get, but they will get something. It would be hard for me to do a female Naruto x Sasuke. But I might give it a go at some point. Anyway onto the next chapter.

Warning: Sasuke has a dirty mouth on him when dealing with Kakashi.

Chapter Three

Naruto looks down at Gina. He currently had the red head in his arms in the VIP section. It was a special section for mostly Kage's, their spouses, families, and their most trusted bodyguards.

"Is she alright?" Shibuki asks, his voice filled with what Naruto considered to be genuine concern.

"Yeah. The bastard just knocked her out. Trust me by his standards, that was gentle." The blonde reassures him.

"That was gentle…" The other man asks in disbelief.

"Yeah. It's Sasuke, ya know?" He laughs.

"I've long ago given up on trying to understand Leaf Villagers." The Stone Kage offers.

"Me too." The Raikage agrees.

"It was a good fight. The Uchiha won but Gina was the only one who really drew blood. Though we might want to get her arm looked at. She got burnt pretty badly." Mei offers.

"Shit! I forgot all about that." Naruto says and quickly looks at the red head's arm.

"Those look like second degree burns." Shibuki states.

"Yeah. Maybe I should get her to the hospital after all." The blonde says.

"That's what happens when you play with fire. You get burnt." The Stone Kage points out.

"Cool it! These are second degree burns. If the bastard was serious, he would have used the Amatersau and she wouldn't have an arm left." Naruto growls.

"He has a point. Let's just be happy they both emerged relatively unscathed." Mei says.

Naruto pulls Gina into his arms bridal style and flits out of the secret exit of the VIP section. They had long ago decided that Kages and other important people needed a way to get out of the stadium quickly, if another attack occurred. At least this way, no one had to see him carry her in that position. It probably would have humiliated the proud red head.

Later that day, Sasuke heads to the hospital. He didn't bother going through the front door. He didn't need to ask what room Gina was in.

He could feel her chakra. It was just a matter of sneaking into the window. There was no way he as going to let any of the medical staff or patients seeing him carrying a bouquet of roses. The last thing he needed was for the Leaf's dedicated Gossip Mill to go into overdrive.

"I must have knocked her out harder than I thought." He murmurs, seeing that she was still "asleep" on the hospital bed and her arm was covered in bandages.

He'd chosen white roses by the process of elimination. Red roses were too romantic. Yellow roses symbolized friendship which might have been good, but honestly he couldn't associate that color with her. It was too sunny, too loud. Too Naruto. For some reason the thought of Naruto and Gina in the sentence irritated him. He didn't know why. Orange roses were out for the same reason. He also just couldn't see lavender going anywhere near the red head. So white roses it was.

He tilts his head when he sees he wasn't the only one there. It was Shibuki. He was also leaving flowers for the Kazekage. His were red roses. Sasuke felt his eyes bleed red. A man didn't give a woman red roses unless he had screwed up big time or he was in love.

"Oh hello, Sasuke." He says cheerfully.

"Hello." Sasuke says and didn't know why he had this powerful urge to shove the other man out of the damn window.

"Well…I just wanted to drop these off for the Lady Kazekage with my best wishes for a speedy recovery. It seems you had a similar idea?" He asks and then the Waterfall Village leader noticed that Sasuke's Sharingan was activated.

Uh oh. He hadn't seen the man since Sasuke was just a Genin. But he knew enough about the Sharingan and Sasuke now to realize that this wouldn't end well for him. He wasn't sure what he had done to upset the infamous ninja, but he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

"Yeah." He says and sets his roses down next to Shibuki's, with a card on them.

"Good. I'm sure she will be happy to know people were thinking of her. Good day to you." He says and wisely makes a speedy exit.

Sasuke glances at the red roses. He was tempted to light them on fire. He knew that was silly. If there was something going on between Gina and the kind Waterfall Village ruler, it was none of his business.

Besides, it was her personal property now. Sasuke cherished his privacy and figured that Gina was the same. He was tempted to read the other man's card though. But he fights back the impulse, heading off before Gina could wake.

Shortly after he leaves, Temari, Shikamaru, and Kankuro go to see Gina. While the other Sand Siblings had wanted to go immediately, Shikamaru reasoned with them. She was going to be unconscious for awhile anyway and the medics needed to treat her burns. After a suitable amount of time had passed, they headed to Gina's room.

"Flowers?" Kankuro asks.

"Probably from Naruto. Two bouquets is kinda overdoing it though." Temari says and reaches for the cards.

"Temari, that's like reading someone's mail. That's wrong." Shikamaru tells her.

"Oh come on. You know you are just as curious as me." She protests.

"What a drag. You are going to do it anyway. So you might as well read them out loud. You can't keep a secret to save your life." Shikamaru says. (In reality, he was just as curious as his soon to be wife. He just wasn't going to admit that.)

"Alright. Starting with the red roses." She says as she reads the following card.

 _Dear Lady Kazekage,_

 _I enjoyed having lunch with you the other day. Hopefully we can do it again sometime. I still think you are brave to fight him in the Arena. Don't let the Stone Kage discourage you._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Shibuki_

"Wait did Gina go out with him?" Temari blinks.

"Sorta sounds like it. But it could still be innocent. Leaders of different villages eat together all the time." Shikamaru reasons.

"Yeah. And I'm sure the roses are perfectly standard procedure too. What's the other one say?" Kankuro asks.

 _ **To: Gina,**_

 _ **From: Sasuke,**_

 _ **Sorry about that. I would have liked the match to last longer, but my wound had split open. Thanks for letting giving me a decent fight. Usually no one other than the loser can manage that. While you are in the village, let me know if you wanna train together. Also aloe is good for burns.**_

"Well I'll be damned. Hell has frozen over. Sasuke actually apologized." Kankuro states.

"It is out of character for him. But he probably just wants another sparring partner. Naruto and Sasuke have been going at it like cats and dogs for over a decade." Shikamaru muses.

"Do you think Shibuki actually likes her?" Temari tilts her head to the side.

"Maybe you could toss the bouquet and garter at them." Kankuro states.

He'd be a good match for Gina. He was kind and gentle. Maybe a little skittish. But Gina's more assertive personality would probably help him. They'd balance each other well. That and it'd be another ally for the Sand. Gina deserved to be in a normal relationship after well everything, Kankuro thought.

"She'd probably try to dodge." Temari muses.

"That or the sand would block." Shikamaru chuckles.

Meanwhile, Naruto was out mingling with the village. He noticed Karin looks sad. Being Naruto, he decided to go see what was upsetting his…God knows how many times removed relative.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks.

"I don't really want to talk about it." The hot pink haired woman says.

"Come on. You'll feel better if you do. I know what makes me feel better." He says, dragging her the ramen shop, to a private booth.

The old man had installed them for couples out on dates. But they also were useful for conducting ninja business. He was a genius really.

"Did you notice anything about the fight?" She asks.

"…Yeah. They weren't going all out." Naruto admits.

"He was never like that with me." Karin says.

"What do you mean?" The blonde asks in confusion.

"He held back with her. That was only a second degree burn. He only knocked her out. He normally wouldn't have been that gentle. And she, wasn't using her sand at the end. That wasn't fighting. That was some twisted form of foreplay." She states.

"…I don't know if I would go that far. I mean that would imply the bastard actually had a sex drive. But yeah, they were both holding back." He admits.

"I just don't know what I did wrong. Why didn't he notice me?" She asks.

"Look Sasuke is a bastard. He's my best friend, but he is a bastard. If he doesn't care when a pretty girl likes him, that's his own dumb fault." Naruto says cheerfully.

"You really think I'm pretty?" She asks.

"Yeah! I like your hair color." Naruato says and mentally wants to smack himself, that sounded so lame.

"Thank you." She says with a smile.

Meanwhile Sasuke, decides to get some training in. Karin had healed his side. And after his hospital visit, he wanted to punch something. He was disturbed by this. It was still none of his business if Shibuki liked Gina. He was a decent guy. The red head could do worse.

"My, my…what did that poor training post do to you?" He hears an amused chuckle from nearby.

Sasuke looks around. He saw the familiar cover an orange book. It was Kakashi.

Oh great. Just fucking great. The last thing he needed was his former Sensei's mind games. When it came to mindfucking someone, Kakashi was second only to Itachi.

"It pissed me off." He states and slams his foot into it, shattering the poor, innocent post.

"Yes, yes I can see how inanimate objects might do that." He says dryly.

"If you got something to say, say it." Sasuke hisses.

"That was quite the little show you and the Kazekage put on. But I couldn't help but fail to notice something. You went easy on her and it seemed mutual. And, I wasn't the only one who noticed. Naruto did as well. So I thought I'd let you know." Kakashi says cheerfully and flips a page in his book.

"Of course I went easy on her. It wasn't a fight to the death." Sasuke says and raises an eyebrow, as if DARING Kakashi to challenge him on that.

"That's not what I meant. You ended that much rather…gently by your standards. You didn't even hit her with third degree burns. I know you could have and you could have easily gotten more than her arm." He continues.

"She's a Kage. I don't need the grief that seriously injuring her would have caused. Besides, the loser would never let me hear the end of it." Sasuke reasons.

"All of those are true. But I doubt they are the only reasons. I followed you to the hospital." Kakashi confesses.

"YOU WHAT?!" Sasuke growls.

"Roses are a classical choice. White though? That's rather innocent considering the nature of your relationship. Which has been…shall we say violent? Red might have been more fitting." He chuckles.

"Red roses mean I fucked up or I want to fuck you." Sasuke states bluntly.

"Both of which seem accurate in your case. I saw your reaction to Shibuki's own get well flowers." Kakashi muses and puts the book down.

Kakashi knew Sasuke well by now. He'd known the boy since he was twelve. He was well aware of the Uchiha's temper and how fast he was. 3...2...1! Yep, there went the Chidori.

Kakashi manages to dodge with just a tenth of a second to spare. Damn, he had cut it close that time. Hmm Sharingan was whirling. Yep, theory confirmed.

"THAT'S IT!" Sasuke growls at him.

"Well I suppose I should have seen this coming. I always did wonder why she argued on your behalf at the Kage Summit. That and she wanted to kill you most at the Chunin Exams. It's possible that she had a crush, but the demon's bloodlust overrode that. And you did kill Deidara. Deidara the man who captured Gina and brought her to the Akatsuki. It all does fit rather neatly together." He says and seems pleased with himself like he had figured out the plot in a mystery novel.

"She argued for me because she knew that Naruto would have lost it, if I got executed. She wanted to kill everyone. She wanted to kill me because I was the strongest. I killed Deidara because he was trying to kill me. So don't try to turn that into something it wasn't. I wasn't trying to avenge her!" He snarls.

"You seem rather upset if that's all it is. All of that is true. But I doubt it's the whole story. And you and I both know that Naruto isn't going to settle for half the story. I suggest you talk to him, before he talks to Gina. This could get awkward, rather quickly." He muses.

"Dammit! That loser and his loudmouth." Sasuke curses and takes off to find Gina.

Meanwhile, Gina woke up in the hospital. She tilts her head. The red head was feeling a bit crowded. Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankuro were all in her fairly tiny hospital room. She smiles reassuringly at them as a way of telling them that she was okay.

"You're popular today." Kankuro teases her.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

Kankuro gestures to the flowers. Gina blinks. She reaches over to them and reads the card. She starts with the red roses first and smiles. That was nice of him to say. Then she reads the white one and smiles, even more. Kankuro caught that.

"Why do you look happier about him wanting to fight you more than someone asking you out on a date?" He asks.

"A date? No, this is just Shibuki being friendly. It's not a date. Besides, I need to get some training in. I don't want to grow weak. I've been spending way too much time pushing papers." She reasons.

"Red roses. I'd say it's a date." Temari says.

"I really think you are reading too much into flowers." Gina counters.

"Shikamaru gets me red roses." The blonde counters.

"So? They are a lovely flower and it's a nice color. It's not an uncommon choice." She mutters.

"I'm still disturbed that Sasuke got her flowers." Kankuro mutters.

"Yeah that is a little disturbing." Temari admits.

"What a drag. Quit harassing her. She needs her rest. Let's go." Shikamaru drags them both out.

Sasuke arrived at the hospital room, only moments after their exit. He rushes in. The dark haired ninja looks around. Okay, so far so good. No Naruto. He could avoid a disaster.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey. Thanks for the flowers." She says.

"Well…I did knock you out. It was the least I could do considering you were helping me." He answers and sits on the bed.

"Helping you?" She questions and tilts her head in confusion.

"That fight showed them that I'm not some psychotic killing machine that can't hold back. It'll go a long way towards making me seem "normal." That was your real intention, right?" He asks.

"Part of it. Mostly I just wanted to see who would win." She replies.

"That was obviously going to be me from the beginning." He says with a smirk.

"Don't get too cocky. I could have beaten you, if I really wanted to. I just figured they'd be less likely to fuck with you, if they saw you take down a Kage." She replies.

"Sure. Whatever you have to tell yourself." He replies with a smirk.

"Was there a reason you were here other than to brag?" She asks.

"Yeah. It's about Naruto." He begins.

"What about him? Is he hurt?" Gina asks in concern.

"No. No. He's fine. It's just Kakashi warned me the idiot has gotten ideas into his head. The loser apparently thinks we are…together or at least want each other that way." Sasuke warns her.

"…Where did Naruto get that idea from?" She questions.

"From our fight. The fact we didn't send each other to the ICU is apparently proof of our undying love." He answers sarcastically.

"I'll try to reason with him. It's a silly notion. As if either of us is capable of such a thing with anyone." She states.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demands to know.

"You are like a tiger. I imagine at some point, you'll find a female tiger, and start producing an army of mini Uchihas. In no universe, do I consider you to be a romantic." She says as if this was obvious.

"I am FULLY capable of being romantic, when I WANT to be." Sasuke protests.

"Which appears to be never." She replies.

"And you seem to think about my kids, a lot." The last Uchiha continues.

"It is a topic of conversation that often comes up in Kage meetings." She defends herself.

"…That is disturbing. What exactly are those idiots saying?" He questions.

"Mei is convinced they will all be beautiful/handsome. The Stone Kage and Raikage are worried that you will breed an army and that they will take over the world. Naruto is certain none of this is cause for concern because you don't have a sex drive, according to him." She finishes.

"Mei's right. Hmm it is an interesting idea. That would take a lot of kids though. Naruto is an idiot." He says.

"And to answer your question, I'd love to train with you. Everyone in the Sand is too scared to train with me." She admits.

"Great. How's your arm?" He asks.

"Better." The red head states.

"Maybe we should have you bite Karin." Sasuke muses.

"No. This is rather minor. Besides, I feel a bit bad for that woman. She's turning into a human chew toy." The Kazekage points out.

"Yeah. Guess you're right. Think you can actually use that arm now?" He inquires.

"I should be able to." She says after moving it in a slow, testing fashion.

"Good. Wanna go to the Forest of Death? No one goes there. It's a great spot to train." He explains.

"It beats laying in this bed doing nothing." She agrees and they head off.

Meanwhile with Karin and Naruto, their discussion continued. It was nice Naruto thought, to have a family member. One that was actually alive. Even if their blood ties were so thin, they barely counted…there was a sense of familiarity.

"So do you think we should give them a push? I mean in their own weird ways, they seem to like each other." He asks the woman.

"Well if it isn't me, I guess I don't really care Sasuke chooses…as long as he's happy. Besides, if he is with a Kage…that'll protect him from the other Kages." She muses.

"Great! So you must know lots of stuff about him, since you guys were traveling with together so long." Naruto states.

"He's really not a talkative person. I know his habits though. He's a night owl when given a choice." She offers.

"I'm not really sure how helpful that would be to know in this instance, but good to know. Anything else?" Naruto asks.

"He hates sweets?" Karin offers uncertainly.

"Alright this going to take a lot of work. Well I know Gina. You know the "new" Sasuke. Together we can make this work." He says.

"Together." She agrees.

"Operation Get Sasuke Laid now commences!" Naruto says cheerfully.

Karin falls out of her chair. She couldn't believe that Naruto had actually said that. Well she could. Naruto was so unpredictable. But seriously? He couldn't be serious about that mission name, could he?

"Is that really what we are going to call it?" She asks and rubs the back of her head in disbelief.

"Well…it's accurate. But if you have a better idea, I'm all ears." Naruto concedes.

"Operation Pride." She says.

"Where'd you pull that from?" He asks in confusion.

"Gina is from the desert. There are lions there. Sasuke is very family orientated. He's proud of his clan. Gina leads a village, which is sorta like a pride in a way. It fits." She says.

"Oh well when you put it that way, yeah. Operation Pride it is!" He says with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys. I know this pairing is definitely in its infancy as far as "shipping" goes. ^^ But I'm glad that those who have found this story so far seem to like it. Anyway, onto the chapter. Feel free to leave any suggestions or requests in reviews or private messages.

Chapter Warning: Gina and Sasuke open up to each other. Remember we are dealing with two people with very dark pasts. I don't think that once the demon was removed that Gina would have escaped her "homicidal phase" completely unscathed. Likewise for Sasuke. The need for revenge is just deeply ingrained in him. I only write stories with happy endings. Stone Kage has horrible timing and jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Chapter Three

"How about we use our swords? To make it more fair, I won't use my Sharingan since I already have the advantage of experience with that weapon." He offers.

"This isn't the Arena where innocent bystanders could get hurt. I don't need the handicap. If anyone should be worried for their safety, it's you." She says and charges at him.

"I'm trembling with…excitement." He says and swiftly moves to the side to dodge.

"Glad to hear it." She says and somehow had summoned the sand sword at the last second.

Unfortunately, for the red head, Sasuke was just a bit too fast for a direct hit. But she was pleased when she saw a thin line at bright red appear across his left cheek. Sasuke touches his cheek, feeling the sting, and then smirks.

She was really going to go all out it seemed. He unsheathes his sword and whirls around, to face the Kazekage. She slams her sword against his. The clash of metal and sand could be heard as the swords connected.

"Not bad, for a novice. What are you trying to win this match by giving me paper cuts?" He taunts her.

"Oh I'm just getting started." She says and slams her sword against his.

"Why'd you do it? I always wondered." He asks suddenly as he does a spin and slashes his sword in such a way that it knocked the sand sword out of her hand.

"Why'd I do what?" She asks and seems oddly unconcerned by the fact he had a sword pointed at her throat.

"Interfere when the Raikage wanted to execute me. You had plenty of reasons to want me dead. I gave you a scar. I upset your best friend by leaving. My brother played a part in your death." He says and keeps the sword pressed against her jugular, figuring that was the best way to get an honest answer.

"It was a scheduled match and I was trying to kill you at the time. I'd be a hypocrite if I held the scar against you. Yes, I was angry that you hurt Naruto. But I was even more at him for foolishly chasing you. And I don't do guilt by association. Besides, he helped me. It wasn't intentional, but he did. I'm no longer under the demon's thrall." She says.

"That explains why you weren't angry with me. It doesn't explain why you'd argue with another Kage. I know what a tight group you all are." He moves the sword up and has it graze her cheek.

"As I said there, there was a time when I was considered a monster. I could have easily ended up in that position. That and it would have broken Naruto if you had died." She says.

"You know you are really good at the whole lying by omission thing. You aren't telling me anything that isn't the truth. But I doubt that was the only reason." He says and cuts deeper.

"I didn't want you to die." She admits.

"Because?" He says and shoves her against a tree, the blade trailing from her cheek to her jugular again.

"He needs you. Naruto has an idealized view of the world. He truly believes at people's cores that there is goodness in everyone. He's too trusting." She answers and Sasuke lowers the blade.

That was closer to whatever was going on in her mind. But he doubted it was it. Still it sounded like this could be an interesting confession of sorts.

"And you don't? Believe there is goodness in everyone?" He asks.

"It's the opposite really. Everyone has a little darkness in them. It's the circumstances around them that choose whether or not the light or darkness takes control. Naruto…is the exception to the rule. Despite everything, he never gave into it. He's never tasted what it's like." The red head admits.

"Yeah. He does live in a fantasy world. Can't argue with that. Still doesn't explain why you stuck your neck out for me." He says and traces the blade along her artery.

"You have. You see the world as it is, not as you wish it to be. He's going to need you if he's going to survive. Right now everyone views him as the hero of the war. But his power grows. The people practically worship him. Sooner or later the power brokers will see him as a threat. The people will side with Naruto over the Daimyos or other Kages every time. They won't allow that. They will send assassins after him. They'll infiltrate. You have lived in the darkness. You are good at recognizing it." She says.

"Good enough answer for now. You can do better than a paper cut though. Don't tell me that's all the youngest Kazekage has in her." He says and lowers his sword, letting her get out from his pin.

"Far from it!" She growls and charges at him with the sand sword.

Sasuke smirks. Well her technique was pretty solid. She was gripping the sword just a little too tight though. That cost her speed. Speed that she needed if she was ever going to do more than attempt blocking him. That and her Kage robes were far too flowy. They were also causing her to lag ever so slightly.

Gina slams into him with her full body weight. Sasuke had been distracted by his thoughts enough that he was actually shoved back a bit. He uses his sword to block her next blows. There was nothing like the thrill of a good fight.

"You spoke of everyone having darkness. Does that mean you haven't defeated your own demons yet?" He asks as they rush at each other.

"No. They are always there. Lurking just beneath the surface. I'm better now than what I was. But I'll never be like him. I still dream of it sometimes. Back then. When killing was the only thing that I enjoyed doing. I remember being drenched in blood and…part of me enjoys it." She confesses as she slams her sand sword at his shoulder.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't have similar dreams. After everything, I got my revenge against the one person that loved me unconditionally. I dream of slitting the Council's throats sometimes." He admits and tries to counter her attack to his neck.

He was just a smidge too slow though. His arm had gone to block with his sword, but hers had skimmed his flesh. The sleeve was cut to ribbons and he hisses as he feels the sand sword slice into his skin.

"It's not needed. They have one foot in the grave and the other in Hell where they belong." She says, seemingly unconcerned about this confession.

"True." He says and spins around, swiftly, wielding his sword in an almost perfect 360 degree attack.

Why had he admitted that to her? She was a Kage. She had a duty to inform Naruto, if someone was plotting against the village or even wanted to. But he didn't feel like she would "tell on him." She understood, he guessed. She'd known bloodlust. She still battled the ghosts of it at night sometimes it seemed.

"AHHH!" She cries out when the sword slices just below her ribcage.

"Awe was I too rough for you?" He mocks her.

"I like it rough." She answers him and slams into him, knocking him onto the ground.

"A direct tackle? You are a little crazy. You know that?" He smirks and rolls them around, until he had her firmly pinned underneath him.

"And you forget that I don't rely exclusively on swords to win." She informs him and a giant fist of sand punches him off of her.

"FUCK! God dammit! Gina that is cheating. We said SWORDS. Not fists." He growls, when he stumbles back to his feet.

"Awe, what's the matter? Was I too rough for you?" She mocks him.

"Pft please. That was a love tap compared to what the loser throws at me on a daily basis. You know those robes are slowing you down, right?" Sasuke informs her and whirls his sword.

"Yeah. They were made for a man. I never got around to seeing a tailor to get them adjusted." She says and privately goes fuck this, as she slides the robes off.

"…." Sasuke blinks and was speechless.

"If a man can fight shirtless, a woman should be able to fight in a similar fashion." She says and charges right at him.

Those robes hid a LOT. Damn. She was wearing emerald green silk. It suited her fair skin and red hair well. Most female ninjas tended to tilt heavily towards a leaner build. She however, like her sister was more…curvy.

It was very distracting actually. Sasuke feels his Sharingan activate against his will. He didn't know why.

As he was contemplating the fact that Gina apparently was not a very modest person, he feels himself get slammed into the ground. She'd pinned him again? WTF? This was getting to be a habit.

"Fair enough." He mutters from his position below her.

That's when he realized this was going to get embarrassing. Very quickly. He supposed it was only natural. When you had a busty red head on top of you wearing only her lingerie…your body was going to respond.

"You win this one. That's two pins." He says.

"Really?" She asks skeptically.

"Yeah." He says.

"That was…suspiciously easy. Are you going easy on me because I'm a Kage and you don't want to get in trouble? I'm not going to tattle on you." She assures him.

"I know. But you win this one. So that's 1-1." He says.

"We are definitely going to need a tie breaker before I head back to the Sand." She says and gets off of him, offering him her hand.

Sasuke looks at his shirt. It now had only one sleeve and dirty enough that he knew there was no point in even trying to get it clean again. He should really go back to wearing darker shirts like he did as a kid, he mused.

Fuck it. She was half naked. They were well passed the point of false modesty. He tosses his shirt.

If there was one thing that Sasuke learned that night it was without a doubt, the universe hated him. Like seriously, someone up there really despised him. Because it was at that moment that the Stone Kage stumbled upon them.

He blinks. Looks at a half naked Gina and a shirtless Sasuke. He saw that they were both injured. It was perhaps only logical that he jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Lady Kazekage! What on Earth are you doing with HIM?" He asks.

"Training." She answers.

"Training? You are both partially disrobed!" He exclaims.

"It's a long story." Sasuke mutters.

"She's bleeding and indecent! What sort of sick game are you playing with her? She even defended you at the Kage Summit and now you are playing with her heart like this?" He yells in outrage.

"Onoki, it's not like that!" Gina protests.

"Lady Kazekage, I may be old. But I assure you that I am not blind. Anyone here can see what is going on." He replies.

"…" Gina looks at Sasuke helplessly.

"I know it is not my place to interfere in your personal matters. But if he's injuring you during sex, you have to realize that such a relationship is NOT healthy. You are bleeding. He's bleeding." He states.

"…Onoki, we were just training." Gina says.

"And even if we weren't, it really wouldn't be ANY of your business." Sasuke hisses.

"Just training…in your unmentionables?" He asks in disbelief.

"My robes are too large. They were weighing me down. While I appreciate your concern, it's not warranted." She replies.

"It seems I owe you an apology, Uchiha…" He says uncertainly.

"Not accepted." Sasuke growls.

"Sasuke." Gina says warningly.

"You're right. He's got one foot in the grave anyway." Sasuke smirks.

"Onoki would…you mind not mentioning this to anyone? It's awkward for all of us." She pleads.

"…No one would believe me anyway. What is the world coming to?" He says and starts off.

"Madara should have finished him off." Sasuke scowls.

"Don't do anything stupid." She says.

"I'm not going to. Well I guess we should probably call this a night. When did you wanna get the tie breaker in?" He smirks.

"Probably sometime before Temari's wedding." She suggests.

"Sounds good." He says and flits off.

If it wasn't for the cut on her cheek, she could almost believe that had been a very bizarre dream. She lightly touches her cheek and sees it was still bleeding. Damn.

Onoki was still highly disturbed. He finds himself knocking on Tsunade's door, despite the hour. Tsunade was someone that Gina respected. Surely, she'd be able to figure out what was going on in that girl's head. Even if what Gina said was true, why would she risk training with him alone? That man was a demon. Had she not seen those killer eyes?

"Onoki what are you doing here at this hour?" Tsunade asks, when she opens her door.

"I just saw something…disturbing." He says.

"Alright. Come in and tell me what you saw." She says and lets him in.

It took about fifteen minutes for the older man to tell her the entire story. He seemed to be struggling to describe it in a "decent" manner. Tsunade blinks.

"I've never known Gina to lie. If she says they were just training, then they were probably just training. It's unusual, yes. But I don't' think it's a cause for concern just yet." She states.

"I guess I didn't think about it that way. But still this situation is highly disturbing. It's one thing that Naruto is so close to him. They were teammates. That only makes sense. Besides, with Naruto there isn't the possibility of…children." He says.

"I'll talk to her about it. But she's a big girl. She helped to lead the allied army. If she wants the "bad boy," that's her decision to make." The blonde tells him.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." He says and sighs in relief.

The next day, Tsunade attends Temari's bachelorette party. Temari invited all the female Kages because well her sister was a Kage and it would have been a slight not to. Gina retreated to the bar and noticed Sakura was there as well. Maybe the pink haired woman was here against her will as well?

"Gina! What happened to your face?" She asks and points to her cheek.

"Training." She answers and orders some sake.

"But your sand blocks any attacks like swords." She says in confusion.

"It usually does. It reacts to my will." She says.

"You LET yourself get cut?" The green eyed woman inquires.

"No. I didn't let myself get cut. It's just if I don't view someone as a threat, the sand doesn't automatically block. It was a training session. There was no real danger." She explains.

"Oh. Who were you training with?" Sakura asks conversationally.

"Sasuke." She answers.

"…He trained with you? He never trained with me." Sakura says with some sadness.

"He likely didn't want to hurt you." Gina offers, feeling a bit guilty for the pain she heard in the other woman's voice.

She couldn't help but be a bit jealous. Sakura was his teammate. Clearly the other woman had been…if not in love with Sasuke, at least in love with the idea of being in love with Sasuke.

The thought irritated her. Though she didn't know why. Sasuke had shown no interest in her. Even if he had, it was none of her business.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. But I know that's not it. It's hard. You know? No matter what I do, I'm always behind them. Naruto and Sasuke. I've gotten a lot stronger and I can heal people now, but still." She mumbles.

"Naruto and Sasuke are a different breed. I can't match them and I'm a Kage. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be dead. I never thanked you for going on the rescue mission." She says.

"Oh! You don't need to thank me for that…" Sakura says.

"I do. That's why I feel that I should be honest with you. You would be better off pursuing someone else. Sasuke is…damaged. He's learning to love himself. It'd be almost impossible for him to give you the kind of love you need." Gina says.

"I know. I just thought maybe…if I gave him time. You know?" She says with a sigh.

"I know. But let's face it, the Uchiha is not shy. If he wants something, he takes it." She replies.

"Yeah. Oh looks like Tsunade wants to talk to you." Sakura informs her.

Sakura heads off to join the others. A stripper had just walked onto the stage and was giving Temari quite the show. Gina blinks. Spandex should be illegal. That outfit left nothing to the imagination.

"I see that strip clubs aren't your thing." Tsunade muses.

"I guess not. Temari forced me to come." Gina admits.

"I'll be blunt. I'm worried about you. Particularly about this." She gestures to Gina's cheek.

"It's nothing. Barely more than a paper cut." She assures her.

"I know that's superficial. What concerns me is the fact that it landed. Your sand should have been able to stop a sword with ease. That means that you didn't consider the person who sliced you a threat. You let your guard down. That's dangerous, especially when it's someone's with Sasuke's…unpredictable nature." She tells her.

"The Stone Kage told you…about last night. Didn't he?" She asks.

"Yes. He's just worried about you. I can certainly see the physical appeal. But if you are falling in love, play with fire and you will get burned. You deserve someone who isn't damaged. Someone who can give you happiness, not injuries." She says.

"And if I said that the injuries and happiness aren't mutually exclusive? Nevermind. I'm not in love with him. People like us can't love, not like that." She assures her.

"…Are you some kind of masochist? Nevermind. I think we both know that you are lying to me and more importantly to yourself. I saw how you defended him at the Summit. I would have done the same for Dan or Jirayia." Tsunade continues.

"It's not that I like pain exactly. I like that I feel alive when I'm pushed to my limits. It's not the same as you and your lovers. Sasuke and I…understand each other. We've both been swallowed by the darkness and were both yanked out of it by Naruto. It's not love. Neither of us is capable of that. It's an understanding." She tells her.

"Oh really? How did you feel when you thought that he was going to die?" She asks.

"…I'm not discussing this further." She says and leaves the strip club.

"I rest my case." Tsunade says and shakes her head.

Gina heads back to her hotel room. She promptly punches a hole in the wall. How dare Tsunade?! It was none of her business. Damn Onoki. She was going to introduce that meddling old fool to her Sand Coffin at this rate.

Meanwhile, Naruto goes to find Sasuke. Karin and he had talked it over. The best way to further Operation Pride, was obviously to get them to spend more time together. But Sasuke lived in the Leaf. Gina lived in the Sand. This was obviously a problem. Naruto had a solution though.

"Hey, bastard. I have a mission for you in about a week." Naruto says cheerfully.

"I'm listening." Sasuke says.

"Well the Kages are heading to the Land of Iron to renegotiate the alliance details. They'll need bodyguards." The blonde explains.

"You want me to babysit them." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Exactly!" The blonde states.

"Fine by me. It gets me out of this damn village for a couple weeks anyway." He says.

"Yup! Thought you'd like that." Naruto says.

"You have no idea. I go stir crazy if I stay here too long." He admits.

"Bastard, what happened to your face?" The blonde asks.

"Training." He answers.

"Someone actually got close enough to slice you?" He questions and tilts his head.

"Gina. Yeah. She forms her sand sword faster than I expected." He concedes.

"This is going to be easier than I thought." Naruto mutters.

"What was that loser?" Sasuke asks.

"Nothing. Um anyway, you might wanna start packing. Oh and don't forget about Shikamaru's bachelor party tomorrow." He says cheerfully.

"Like I could forget? Kiba won't shut up about it. You'd think he'd never seen breasts before. Actually, considering it's Kiba he's probably more used to seeing dogs than actual women." He says with a smirk.

"Oh that was cold bastard." Naruto laughs.

"But true." The last Uchiha points out.

"Yeah. Guess so." He concedes.

"Surprised Temari is letting him have one." Sasuke muses.

"She's having one. So it's only fair." Naruto says.

"…If Temari is having a Bachelorette Party, that means…" He trails off.

"Yeah. Gina probably is getting dragged along." Naruto says.

"…." Sasuke as speechless.


	5. Chapter 5

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: Shikamaru's Bachelor Party. Warnings put before and after, in case for some reason anyone might not be comfortable reading that scene. We have some Sand Sister bonding of sorts as well. Don't worry, Temari will be alright. Oh yeah, Gina is in denial big time.

Chapter Five

Tsunade sighs. Onoki had a right to be worried it seemed. The blonde Hokage knew what it meant to be in love with someone and not be able to be with them. She knew the pain that caused.

"But in my case it was death that separated us." She murmurs to herself.

Death was final. If your loved one died, you could carry their will with you in your heart. But you knew it was over. There was closure.

Unrequited love was an entirely different matter. It was one thing to be prevented from being with someone because they were dead. It was another when that person didn't return your feelings or other obstacles were in your way. Tsunade thought that unrequited love was far more painful than losing your loved one to death. With the second kind of love, you in theory at least had a chance at being with your most precious person. It was…death by a thousand cuts.

"I don't think she really realizes what she got herself into." Tsunade murmurs.

The busty woman tolerated Sasuke. She had to because he was important to Naruto. She thought the brat was naïve to welcome him back into the village with open arms. But she knew how stubborn he was. There was no arguing with him. Naruto valued friendship above everything, even common sense.

She could certainly empathize with someone who had lost their family. The last Uchiha had suffered horribly. But she couldn't forgive him for the pain he put Naruto through and all the lives he endangered wittingly or unwittingly on his quest for revenge.

He was extremely damaged. She wasn't even sure he COULD love. Even if he could love, putting him with another equally damaged person was just inviting disaster.

"Well love has never been logical." She chuckles to herself.

Hell, she hadn't realized she loved Jirayia until after he died. At least Gina might realize how she felt before Sasuke died. But the former Hokage really hoped she wouldn't act on it.

She was just now overcoming the scars of her past. She didn't need Sasuke to pick at the scabs until the psychological wounds started bleeding openly again.

It was also true, that Gina didn't really understand romantic relationships. Trying to give Sasuke what he needed would be like throwing a toddler into the raging ocean and expecting them not to drown.

"Tsunade, you know talking to yourself isn't really a good sign." She hears an amused chuckle.

She turns around to see who was speaking to her. It was Kakashi. Damn. Well Kakashi was highly intelligent. He also knew Sasuke well. Arguably only Naruto knew him better. Perhaps she should enlist his help in adverting this…crisis.

"No, I don't suppose it is. But I have good reason to be rattled tonight." She answers.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asks and suddenly his face grows serious.

"I believe Gina to be in love with Sasuke, even if she doesn't realize it herself." She says with a sigh.

"I'm aware." The silver haired man informs her.

"You knew?!" She asks in disbelief.

"Sasuke and Gina aren't normal. There was no reason to expect them to express affection in a normal fashion. Sasuke has always communicated with his fists and it seems that Gina is more than happy to speak that language. I realized it at their rematch." He explains.

"I can't believe I didn't see it then myself. It's not like Sasuke to be that _gentle."_ She spits out the last word in a tone full of biting sarcasm.

"I admit that I was curious why she opposed his execution so strongly. We both should have seen this before now. But that doesn't matter. What matters is what we choose to do or not do about it now." He continues.

"Obviously, we keep them apart. Gina is a dedicated Kage. If she's focused on leading her village, she'll forget about him eventually. Sasuke well I don't know if he feels anything for Gina other than respect for a worthy opponent. Out of sight, out of mind." She answers.

"Oh it is mutual." Kakashi informs her.

"What makes you say that?" Tsunade asks warily.

"I confronted him with my theory. He as very defensive. Too defensive for it to be purely one sided." The Copy Cat Ninja replies.

"Dammit. Just when things were calming down. Well still the separation plan is a good one." She says.

"That's not going to work for the immediate future." Kakashi adds.

"Why not?" Tsunade asks twitching.

"Naruto decided that Sasuke will be one of the bodyguards for the diplomatic mission to the Land of Iron." Kakashi clarifies.

"HE WHAT?!" Tsunade yells.

"Yes, so you'd have to talk him out of it. Kid isn't as oblivious as he pretends to be. He picked up immediately on what was going on in that match." Kakashi offers.

 **Shikamaru's Bachelor Party (Skip if Not Interested)**

Meanwhile, Sasuke was with _the guys_ at Shikamaru's Bachelor Party. Poor Shikamaru was currently on the stage and getting a lap dance from a woman, a rather…curvy woman. Sasuke was positive she'd had work done, a lot of it. Shikamaru's eyes were wide and the other guys were having a grand ole time watching Shikamaru get embarrassed.

He smirks and downs another shot. It was fun to watch Shikamaru look so flabbergasted. He'd mostly kept to himself, other than exchanging a few greetings with the other men.

Honestly, he was content to try to avoid the limelight. It didn't seem to work though. He'd had at least six strippers offer to give him a dance or ask him what he was doing later that night.

"Whoa! Go Shikamaru!" Naruto cries out.

Some of the strippers weren't bad looking. A couple were even worth a second glance. But honestly, they couldn't compete with the sight of a certain Kazekage in her lingerie. Also Sasuke was sure that unlike most of the exotic dancers, Gina's…curves were real.

Naruto watches Sasuke curiously. He knew that Gina and Sasuke had some sort of thing. They definitely weren't official though. He doubted that Sasuke being the stubborn bastard he was, had even admitted it to himself yet. Gina was…another matter. It wasn't that she was stubborn. She genuinely probably wouldn't have recognized romantic feelings.

The woman had had such an isolated childhood. She was just beginning to understand real friendship, romantic love…that was a new territory for her. Therefore, it was obvious that Sasuke was the one who needed the hardest PUSH.

"Yo, bastard! Quit hiding in the corner and come join the party." Naruto calls out.

"I'm not hiding." Sasuke scowls.

"Oh really? Looks like you are too me." The blonde says.

"Whatever, loser." Sasuke says and makes his way over to Naruto.

"Are you sulking because none of the strippers are red heads?" He taunts him.

"I'm not sulking. But I'm not interested in them. I prefer real, not plastic." He says with a shrug.

"Good to know. Does the cut hurt?" Naruto asks.

"Please. It's a paper cut." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

"A paper cut…uh huh. You seem to be wearing that paper cut pretty damn proudly. You could have taken care of that easily, even without Karin's help." The blonde says.

"Are you trying to make a point?" Sasuke asks.

"You are getting some sort of kick out of it." The blue eyed ninja answers.

"A kick out of what?" The dark haired man asks and raises his eyebrow like where is this dumbass going with this?

"Fighting her. You like scandalizing the other Kages and the ninja world as a whole." Naruto says.

"Maybe a little." Sasuke says.

"I thought so. Well remember you are supposed to be her bodyguard on the mission to the Land of Iron. If you two start fighting and slicing each other up…that's not going to look good." He warns him.

"I'm not an idiot." Sasuke replies.

"I know. You are a bastard though." The blonde says with a smile.

"And you are still a loser, after all these years." Sasuke taunts him.

Meanwhile, back at the other strip club the party was winding down. Temari blinks. She didn't see Gina anywhere. She heads over to Tsunade. She'd know where the red head went.

"Have you seen, Gina?" She asks.

"I think she went back to her hotel room. You might want to give her some space for tonight." The other blonde offers.

"Was she really that uncomfortable about the strippers?" Temari questions.

"She didn't care for them. But no that's not it. It's a long story." Tsunade says and takes another shot of whiskey.

"Alright. Well thanks." Temari says.

The eldest of the Sand Siblings bids good night to her other friends. Then she heads to the hotel. If Gina was upset, she should at least try to talk to her.

Temari did mourn the fact that she and Gina had never really connected. At first, she had the demon. In the old days, Gina was as likely to kill her siblings as talk to them. So naturally, there had been some distance. It was a matter of self preservation.

The blonde was sure that Gina did care about her on some level. But there just wasn't a strong bond. They were just two fundamentally different people. It was hard to find common ground to tie them together other than blood ties. She promised herself that she would try to form a stronger bond with Gina before she moved to the Leaf. Now was the time to keep that promise to herself.

"Gina?" She asks as she knocks on the door.

"Temari?" The wind user hears her sister respond and soon enough Gina opens the door.

"There you are. I was worried when I realized you weren't there. Are you okay?" She asks.

"I'm fine. That sort of establishment is not a place that I feel comfortable in." Gina replies.

It was true. She felt very uncomfortable surrounding by half naked people she didn't know. That wasn't the only reason. But it was the only reason she could tell her sister.

"And the reason you punched a hole in the wall?" Temari inquires.

"…Tsunade may have overstepped her grounds." The red head states.

"Really? I thought the two of you got along well." The blonde inquires.

"We normally do. But she tried to meddle in my personal life. I did not appreciate it." Gina says and there was a slight growl at her voice.

Fortunately, Temari realized the red head wasn't angry with her. She was angry or at least annoyed at Tsunade. She wondered what the former Hokage could have done to set her sister off.

"Most people wouldn't. What'd she say?" She asks cautiously.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Gina replied automatically.

It was so automatic, that Temari was now suspicious. Gina was normally a rather blunt individual. She generally had no filter and preferred not to sugarcoat things. She wasn't the type to keep secrets if it wasn't for a mission. So now she was curious.

"Does it have anything to do with that cut on your cheek?" She questions.

"…Maybe." Gina says and actually looks at her feet.

It was odd. Gina was the Kazekage. She had helped to lead the Allied Forces in a war. But right now she looked like a kid that felt guilty about getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Your sand should have been able to block whoever gave you that mark. The fact that it didn't means you trusted that person. Yet, they hurt you. Even if it was minor. Were you training with Naruto?" She asks.

"No. Not Naruto." She answers.

"But you were training with someone." The blonde observes.

"Yes. It's superficial. It will heal in a couple days. It's nothing to worry about." Gina assures her sister.

"I'm sure it will. Well you were training with someone who has a sword clearly. The Leaf generally isn't known for its swordsmen and women. That limit's the possibilities. Considering that little show at the Chunin Exams, I'm going to guess Sasuke." She says.

"…" Gina was silent.

"That answers that. Was she upset that you were training with Sasuke? I can understand why. He's not exactly known for his restraint." Temari states.

"I am tired of this implication that I am not perfectly capable of handling the Uchiha." Gina snaps.

"I know you're strong. But you have to admit, Sasuke and Naruto are now on a tier that no one can match if they are giving it their all." She hurriedly "apologizes."

"No. I don't have to admit it. He's actually quite easy to defeat if you use more creative methods." She says.

"More creative methods like?" She asks.

"Nevermind. It doesn't matter." The red head says.

"I wish you would stop closing yourself off to me. I am your sister. I want us to be closer, like you are with Kankuro." She informs her.

"I'd like that as well. We just are…wired differently." The Kazekage admits.

"So was that it? She got mad that you were training with Sasuke because she was worried about your safety? And you resented that?" She sums up.

"That's…the gist of it." The Kage agrees warily.

"The gist? There was more?" She inquires.

"Temari, just drop it. It doesn't matter. I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to do anything stupid." She says warningly.

"Anything stupid? Well if it's not about fighting…ohh." Temari says.

"What ohh? I don't like ohh. Oh means you are jumping to conclusions, likely the wrong ones." Gina states.

"When we got to the village, you were running and smiling. I thought you were just happy to see Naruto. But Sasuke was with him. Then that match…training with him. Are you two…" She trails off.

"Romantically involved? No." She answers.

"But you want to be." She says.

"Temari, despite what you and apparently Tsunade think…we aren't made that way. Neither the Uchiha or I are capable of that kind of love. We are both far too damaged. We understand each other in the way two predators in a forest might. I can tell him…things that I can't tell others. It's not love. It's an understanding." She says.

Temari sighs. It was painful to hear Gina talk that way about herself. She knew that the red head probably still suffered from a negative self image. It was impossible not to when you were treated as a pariah for a large chunk of your life and had a homicidal demon inside you that made you into a serial killer. But still, she had thought that she was making progress.

"And that understanding involves a level of trust that would allow your sand to instinctively not defend you." She muses.

"My sand would do the same for Naruto, you, Kankuro, and others. That means nothing." She snaps.

"If it means nothing, you wouldn't be so angry." She points out.

"I'm angry that people are trying to control me. Nothing is going on." The red head growls.

"It does explain a lot. Gina, I'm so sorry. It must be painful to have feelings for someone that doesn't return them." She reaches out to place her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm not the one you should console. It's Sakura who claims to love him. She could use a shoulder to cry on." Gina spats it out with a level of venom that surprised Temari.

"You are jealous." Temari says.

"I am not jealous. There's nothing to be jealous of. If he wanted her, he would have said so by now. Besides, I can't be jealous of her. She saved my life. What kind of horrible person would that make me if I was jealous of her? I should want her to be happy." She says.

"It would make you human. That's what kind of person you would be." She replies.

"It doesn't matter. You are imagining things that aren't there." She tells her.

"Uh huh. And if I were to tell you that I saw him in a lovers' embrace with Karin last night?" Temari asks.

Okay, that probably wasn't her brightest idea. SMACK. The sand goes flying and slams the blonde into the wall.

Gina gasps in horror. She rushes over to her sister. Dammit! She hadn't meant to do that. Her sand had just lashed out.

"Are you okay? Temari, I'm so sorry." Gina murmurs.

"I'm fine. It's going to take more than that to knock me out of commission. You might be able to lie to yourself. But your sand can't lie. I don't know if you love him. But there's jealousy there. I didn't see her with him by the way. I was just testing you." The blonde says.

"I don't appreciate your games." Gina says.

"It wasn't a game. Gina, I want to help you." Temari tells her.

"If you want to help, make it go away. Transfer it to someone else. Things would be easier, if it was Naruto or anyone else!" She replies.

"Love doesn't care about what's easier. If it did, I wouldn't have fallen for a ninja from another village. But I did. What do you want to make go away?" Temari asks warily.

"I don't…have the words to describe it." She admits.

"Try. I won't tell anyone what you say to me. This will be our first real secret between sisters." She assures her.

"If it's our first secret, how do I know if you will keep it?" She asks.

"That's a good point. You don't. That's why it's called trust and faith." The blonde responds.

"When I see him…I feel alive. It feels like fire running through my veins, but it's a good fire. I know that doesn't make any sense." She mutters.

"It makes perfect sense. Go on." Temari encourages.

"It makes me…happy in a way that I can't describe. I don't mind getting hurt to prolong our time together. I can tell him things, that I can't tell even Naruto. Naruto would never understand. He'd be horrified…" She says and bites her lower lip, clearly the red head considered that second part to be something of a "betrayal."

"I won't ask what he'd be horrified by. But that's alright Gina. No one tells anyone all their secrets. Some are easier to share with different people is all. Is there more?" She asks.

"The thought of him dying…upsets me." She finishes lamely.

"For someone who considers herself incapable of love, that sounds an awful lot like it to me. I know from experience." She says teasingly.

"What you have with Shikamaru is love. What I have…well what I feel towards him, isn't. It's an addiction. I have been behaving so irresponsibly. I've risked alienating the other Kages. I risked my own life. I risked my reputation as a fighter with everyone watching…" She states.

"Love always involves a lot of risk. No one sane would ever fall in love." Temari says with a smile.

"I'm not in love." She protests.

"If you say so. Is that why you kept Sasuke's flowers but not Shibiki's?" She asks.'

"Sasuke did a jutsu on his flowers. They aren't wilting yet. Shibiki's were. There is no point in keeping dead flowers." She explains as if it was obvious.

"Did he really? That was surprisingly thoughtful." Temari muses.

"Yes, he did. I can feel his chakra in the flowers. It's faint but there." She points out.

Meanwhile on the other side of the village, two shadowy figures were meeting. Both of them were wearing ANBU masks. Neither of them were actually ANBU.

"It seems Sasuke Uchiha has been assigned to the Kage Mission to the Land of Iron." The first wearing a Coyote mask states.

"Excellent. That will make it much easier to capture him." Another man wearing a Cat mask replies.

"And to make it even easier, it seems he has been spending a great deal with the Lady Kazekage as of late. Can you forge her handwriting?" The Coyote asks.

"Of course, I can forge my Kazekage's writing. Do you think he'd actually fall for it?" The Cat muses.

"Oh I know he will." The Coyote replies.

"Excellent. So we shall commence Operation Demon Eyes." The Cat continues.

"We just need to get him alone. That should be relatively easy now." The other agrees.

"Yes, come. We should go before someone stumbles upon us." He states and they flit off.


	6. Chapter 6

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry this update was a little bit slow. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Six

Gina was at her wits end. The procession towards the Land of Iron had started scarcely two hours ago. But already, she was TIRED of the worried looks that Tsunade and the Stone Kage kept giving her.

To make matters worse, Sasuke definitely noticed. She never expected him to be the chivalrous type. But she knew that he was trying to "help" by moving closer to her.

"Why are they looking at you like they expect you to collapse at any moment?" Sasuke murmurs so lowly, that even Gina wasn't entirely sure if she had imagined it or not.

"It's a long story." She replies back in kind.

"He told Tsunade about stumbling on our training session." The last Uchiha states as a matter of fact, not a question.

"He did." She admits.

"And…is Tsunade also under the impression that I'm some sort of rogue that was trying to steal your virtue as well?" He asks dryly.

"Not exactly. She's more concerned for my physical safety than "innocence." She says the last word mockingly.

"I suppose that's less insulting than what the Stone Kage was implying. Well to me anyway. They are both treating you like you are some kid that can't protect herself. If I was you, I'd kick their ass on principle." The dark haired man observes.

"I was tempted to. But it seems morally wrong to beat the elderly." She responds.

"The Demon of the Sand is going soft." He says with a smirk.

"I am not!" She protests.

"Oh really? Then why do you give a fuck what they think? Your acting like we did something wrong. We were just training. Granted, I didn't expect half a striptease…" He taunts her.

"It was NOT a striptease!" She growls at him.

"It was half of one." He counters and walks off ahead of the group with that damn smirk.

Gina's sand swirls around her in agitation. She should have her sand knock him on his ass for that. Smartass. But if Tsunade and Onoki were already concerned, that would send them into a panic. She sighs and walks alongside Naruto, who was by now giving her funny looks.

"He's being a cocky asshole." She explains.

"So the bastard is being his bastardly self. Got it." Naruto says cheerfully.

"That is about the size of it." The red head agrees.

"Well glad everything's okay. I'd have to kick his ass if he was being more than just a bastard." The blonde reassures her.

"Speaking of…high maintenance, you've been spending a lot of time with Karin." Gina muses.

"Yeah! She's great. We are family, sorta. I never had anyone related to me by blood that I could bond with, who was actually alive." He says.

"I'm happy for you. But isn't the relation rather…distant?" She questions.

"Yeah. Kinda like Uchiha and Hyuga level of distant." The blonde answers.

"Got it." She says.

"We are working on a mission together." He says cheerfully.

"Really? What's the mission" The red head asks curiously.

"I can't say. It's a secret." The blue eyed ninja tells her.

"Is this mission at any point going to cause the Sand Village to get blown up or illegal?" The young Kage questions.

"Nope. Well I don't think so anyway." Her best friend replies.

"Good. Then you can keep your secret." She says with a smile.

After a few hours of walking, they decide to make camp in a forest. The women were setting it up. They'd sent the men off to get the firewood. Naruto had pointed out they didn't need firewood. They had a Sasuke.

"We don't want to use any chakra. It might be detected. We are dangerous close to Samurai lands. They wouldn't take the use of chakra well." Tsunade had pointed out.

"Oh alright." Naruto pounded and they bounded off.

"Gina, sit next to me. I got us the best seats in the forest." Mei says in an amused fashion, sitting on a log.

"Alright. What are we supposed to be watching?" She asks, sitting next to the other Kage.

"The men chopping firewood." She replies.

"Why would we want to watch that?" The red head says in confusion.

"Mei…really? Are you a Kage or a horny Chunin?" Tsunade says rolling her eyes.

"I don't get it." Gina mutters with a shrug.

"Being a Kage doesn't mean one forfeits having fun. Besides, you're the one that invented this trick." Mei points out.

"Don't tell her that!" Tsunade says.

"What trick?" The Kazekage asks.

"Tell them not to use their chakra because they risk detection. Then have them chop the wood and admire." Mei says.

Just then the men all come back with the fire wood and start chopping it into manageable pieces with their swords or kunai's. The shirts didn't take long to be discarded. Oh yeah…Gina got it now.

"Thank God for ninja training, it definitely sculpts the male form." Mei says in a voice full of mischief.

"I like this better than the strip club." Gina agrees with Mei.

"GINA! Mei, stop corrupting her." Tsunade states and smacks her forehead in frustration.

"Nice biceps and six packs. Hmm did Naruto get a tattoo?" Mei questions, as she ignores Tsunade.

"Looks like it. Actually no. I think that's just the seal to keep Kurama in." Gina says on second thought.

"The Raikage is in excellent shape for a man his age." Tsunade mutters.

"See? That's the spirit. Have some fun. Hmm where did I put that sake?" Mei muses.

"Look at them." Onoki points out scoffing.

"What about them?" Naruto asks.

"Sitting there while we do all the work." He continues.

"They aren't sitting. They are ogling." The Raikage says.

"…You think they are checking us out?" The blonde asks.

"Well Mei definitely is." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Granny Tsunade is checking us out? That's disturbing!" Naruto says.

"Idiot. She's not looking at you." Sasuke scoffs and shakes his head.

"That's a relief. " The blonde says.

Later that night, most of the others had gone to bed. Sasuke had agreed to stand the first shift. According to Naruto, the bastard was a night owl when given a choice.

"Surprised they actually went to sleep." He muses to Gina.

"Raikage and Tsunade aren't…sleeping. They are moving around way too much in that tent. Soundproofing Jutsu. The Stone Kage needs his sleep in his old age. Naruto…well he's an early riser. Mei is tired from her long journey." She offers.

"Wait you think they are?" Sasuke asks.

"It appears that way." Gina states.

"…I guess that's one way to improve intervillage relationships." Sasuke states dryly.

"Mhm." She agrees.

"So why aren't you asleep?" The last Uchiha asks.

"When I had the demon, if I slept it took control. To this day, I'm still an insomniac." She admits.

"I guess old habits are hard to break. But sooner or later, you'd think your body would shut down. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?" He asks mildly curious.

"I sleep every two or three days. I can go up to five without sleep before my body shuts down as you put it." She says.

"I've trained myself to be able to get by on minimal sleep. But I can't say I'd ever want it to make a habit to adopt your sleeping habits or your lack of sleeping habits." He says slyly.

"Most wouldn't. I know the demon is gone. But when I shut my eyes…I remember everything." She tells him.

"I have the same problem. Only I don't have the luxury of having been possessed to explain away my actions." He responds.

"Was that your version of comforting? The fact that I wasn't in control doesn't bring back those that I killed." Gina says.

"It was my version of interjecting a little reality. You have no reason to feel guilty." Sasuke flits over and pushes her onto the ground, holding her hands above her head.

"Uchiha, get off of me now. If one of them wakes up and see you on top of me like this…" She warns him.

"I'll get off when you admit that you have nothing to feel guilty for. You already died for your village. I'd say that wiped the slate clean." He states.

"Maybe. Now get off of me." She says.

"You're easily embarrassed for someone that didn't mind getting her ass handed to her in the Arena or fighting in her lingerie." He says with a smirk.

"That's different! Fighting with our clothes on in public or in private is one thing, but it's another if they wake up and it looks like we are…" She glances at Tsunade and the Raikage's tent.

"Considering the way they are babying you, could it really get much worse?" Sasuke asks genuinely curious.

"Never ask that Uchiha. You are smart enough to realize that every time someone says it can't get any worse, it does. Haven't you ever seen a horror movie?" The red head questions him.

"Good point. But I mean it when I say you have nothing to feel guilty about." He says softly and gets off her.

"Alright." She agrees mostly because she had figured out that Sasuke was the second most stubborn person on the planet, after Naruto. (Arguing with him about anything was pointless.)

"Good." He says and looks around, keeping watch.

She settles down into her sleeping bag and closes her eyes. For some reason, she fell asleep quickly that night. She slept like a baby.

A few hours later, Tsunade came to relieve Sasuke of his watch duty. The dark haired man was not particularly fond of the way she was looking at him. He knew that she was going to say something. Probably something about Gina. He felt his Sharingan activate in annoyance.

"I am guessing from the red color of your eyes, you know what I'm about to say." She states.

"Yes. Nothing romantic is going on. I'm not seducing her. I'm not hurting her. Well maybe I'm hurting her a LITTLE. It is training." He mutters as an afterthought. (Accuracy was important.)

"Maybe not intentionally. I saw how she defended you at the Kage Summit and the Chunin Rematch. There is something there. I'm sorry but as her friend, I have to say it. She's not ready for a real relationship. If she was, it'd be better if she was with someone more…gentle." She finishes.

"I understand you are worried about her. But respectfully, it's her choice if she wants _gentle_ or not." He spits out the word gentle like it was a poison.

"You sound rather offended for someone who is claiming nothing is going on." Tsunade muses.

"I'm offended because you are implying that I would hurt my lover…even if it's a hypothetical relationship!" Sasuke scoffs.

"Of course. I'm sure that's what it is." Tsunade says.

"It is." Sasuke replies.

"I mean it, Sasuke. She's far too fragile and too new to the idea of love to jump into the deep end of the pool with someone like you. She's from a desert." Tsunade says and takes her watch.

"Maybe you should respect the fact your colleague is an adult and can make her own decisions. If I was in her and I heard what you just said, it wouldn't end well for you." Sasuke says and rather defiantly, he lays by Gina.

"Uchiha, stop acting like a child." Tsunade mutters.

He glares at her rebelliously and warps his arms around the sleeping Kazekage. Gina rolls around, to face Sasuke in her sleep. She snuggles against this new source of warmth. It looked like a lover's embrace. Tsunade knew he knew that. Sasuke was fucking with her, she decided.

"You are impossible!" She growls.

"Mmm warm." Gina mumbles in her sleep and burrows into him.

There wasn't an inch separating them. Sasuke was surprised. It was like they were two pieces of a puzzle. Their bodies lined up that well. He was also amused that the Demon of the Sand was apparently a cuddler.

Later, Naruto relieves Tsuande of watch duty. He blinks. Well damn, looks like _Operation Pride was off and running._

Gina and Sasuke were sleeping. Damn they were snuggled up tightly. Both looked so…peaceful. He'd never seen the bastard look that peaceful. He also looked a bit smug?

"He's only doing it to irritate me." Tsunade says with a sigh.

"Why would that irritate you?" Naruto asks.

"It's a long story. You're the last watch and then we'll wake everyone up. I just hope that the Stone Kage doesn't see them like that." She mutters.

"Why? What's the deal with Onoki?" The blonde asks in confusion.

"Nevermind brat. Don't worry about it." She says and heads back to her tent to rejoin her lover.

Gina wakes later. She blushes, when she realizes that somehow she'd ended up in the Uchiha's arms. The red head tries to wiggle out of his hold before he could wake up and they'd be in a very awkward situation. But his hold was too strong. She wasn't going to escape without waking him up. Dammit!

"Gina, stop squirming." Sasuke murmurs, opening his eyes.

"Eep!" She says.

"Did you seriously just eep?" The dark haired man asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Maybe." The red head confesses.

"Relax. Nothing happened. Tsunade was just meddling. So I laid next to you as payback." He informs her.

"…What'd she say to you?" The youngest Kage was almost terrified to ask.

"I'm not _gentle_ enough for you." Sasuke scoffs.

"I suppose she thought that was a tactful way to put it. But I really am beginning to resent this implication that I'm made out of glass and need the other Kages to protect me." She states.

"And I resent the implication that I'm an abusive lover." Sasuke replies.

"I imagine so. I'll talk to her. We can't go on this whole trip with her and the Stone Kage conspiring against us." She observes.

"There's an us?" He asks.

' "You know what I meant." She says.

"Yeah. Come on. We should probably get up before a massive freakout happens. The loser would never let either of us hear the end of it." He states in amusement.

"True." She agrees and takes his hand, as he helps her up.

Soon enough they arrive in the Land of Iron. They are greeted and shown to their rooms. Gina and Sasuke blink when they both got keys with the same number on it.

Mei giggles. Apparently, the older woman knew something about it. Gina goes over her and decides to bite the bullet and ask.

"Do you know why they put us in the same room?" She questions.

"They think you are married." She answers.

"WHAT?!" The red head demands.

"Sasuke was walking at your side the entire time. It's their custom that only husbands and wives or at least lovers do that. Usually one will walk ahead of the other as a show of authority." She explains

"Oh. Really? Isn't that…overanalyzing things?" The younger Kage questions.

"Perhaps. But it is their way. I would just suck it up and share. You don't want to risk offending them or embarrassing them over the mistake." She observes.

"So what'd she say?" Sasuke asks when she walks back.

"They think we are married because we walked side by side. Apparently to them that's…significant." She replies.

"…So we should go explain that we aren't." He states.

"We'd risk embarrassing or offending them. We already slept next to each other last night anyway." She says with a shrug.

"Well when you put it like that, alright. Better sharing a room with you than the loudmouth." He follows her to their room.

"Such high praise." She says dryly.

"I know. Try not to let it go to your head." He replies.

"Uh huh." She shuts the door behind them and starts unpacking.

"You still have the cut. Here, let me look at it. Might be infected." He observes.

"Uchiha, it is barely more than a paper cut. It's fine." She says.

"Sit, stay, good Kazekage." Sasuke says, as he grabs her and sets her down so that she was sitting on the bed.

"I am NOT a dog." She growls.

"You growl like one and consider it payback for the ramen shop thing." He informs her.

"Alright. Maybe I deserved that one." She concedes.

"Yeah, it's infected. Let me check my pouch." He says and pulls out his traveling pouch.

Usually ninjas used it to store kunais. Sometimes they stored other things inside it such as water, rations, or medicines. Sasuke apparently stored disinfectant cream in there.

"I always carry it. Naruto and I get carried away sometimes in our training sessions and don't notice." He explains and opens the tube, squeezing some onto his finger, and then starts gently brushing the medication across the cut.

"Probably a smart move on your part." She admits.

He nods and tilts his head to the side. The other ninja seemed to be checking to see if he missed a spot. After a few seconds, he nods. It looked like he was satisfied.

"She's wrong." Gina says suddenly.

"Who is wrong about what?" He asks.

"Tsunade. That you aren't gentle enough. You can be, when you want to be." She says.

"Thanks." He says, not sure how to respond to that.

"We should probably check out the guidebooks. I know very little about this land." The Kazekage admits.

"Did you just ask me if I wanted to do homework with you?" He questions in amusement.

"I guess so. Naruto's too…energetic to actually sit still long enough to look them over. Two pairs of eyes are better than one." She rationalizes.

"True." He says and sits behind her, leaning against her as he reads over her shoulder.

"Sasuke." She says warningly.

"What? I'm helping." He says.

She shakes her head and begins reading. It said that the Samurai were fond of meat, any kind really. Their lands were a harsh one for farming, so it was as much out of necessity as choice.

"What's your favorite?" Sasuke asks.

"My favorite what?" She replies.

"Food. Naruto is obsessed with ramen. I like tomatoes." He informs her.

"Strawberries, particularly chocolate covered ones. The melted chocolate in particular." She tells him.

"Strawberries are good." He agrees.

"Why tomatoes?" She asks curious.

"My mother used to grow them in her garden." He answers.

"That's…sweet." She says.

"It's not sweet. It's a fact." He argues.

"Whatever you say." She says in amusement and flips a page.

Meanwhile with Naruto, Karin shows up. He'd told her to tail them. Two sets of eyes were better than one after all.

"Hey! Come in." Naruto says cheerfully and lets her in his room.

"Thanks." She says with a yawn and walks inside, she hadn't slept for most of the last two days.

"So what'd you find out while everyone was asleep?" He questions.

"Tsunade suspects something is going on between them. She's not supportive. Sasuke and Gina are…cuddlers. He laid next to her just to annoy Tsunade. So reversed psychology works well on him." She offers and flops onto the bed.

"Really? Never figured them for cuddlers. Wow." Naruto says.

"Well you should get some rest. You deserve it after all that. Don't worry, I'll make sure no one sees you." He assures her.

"Thanks." She murmurs and was soon out like a light.

She trusted Naruto completely. His chakra was made out of something that she termed pure sunshine. It was so friendly.

Naruto smiles. He pulls some blankets over the red head. He probably shouldn't have made her stay up so long. But it was the easiest way to get information. It was nice to have a "teammate" who he didn't fight with all the time or get smacked a lot by. Plus, she was pretty cute.

The blonde felt confident. If Gina and Sasuke were already cuddling, ther was no way their mission couldn't be a success. Operation Pride was looking promising after all.


	7. Chapter 7

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Yay the reviews are fixed. I treasure each one. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. Sorry this one was so late. I have so many stories going on right now and lots of plot bunnies for new ones . .

Chapter Seven

Gina wasn't sure how it happened. It had been late at night when they arrived, so maybe that was why. One minute, she was looking over the guidebooks with Sasuke and the next thing she knew she was awakened to a steady THUMP THUMP of something close to her ear. It was somehow relaxing.

It was then that the red head realized she was warm and very comfortable. Her pillow was…harder than she was accustomed to as well. It was also moving. Wait, a moving pillow? That couldn't be right. Pillows definitely did not move.

"What the?" She warily opens her eyes and looks around.

It didn't take long to realize what that sound had been. It was Sasuke's heartbeat. At some point during the night, she must have fallen asleep. So did he and they had woken up snuggled into each other. Well she had woken up. Thankfully, he was still asleep.

Idly, she was amused that she had probably gotten more sleep on this trip, using the Uchiha as a pillow and blanket than she normally got in two weeks. Still this was getting to be a habit. One that she had to break immediately.

"He looks so peaceful." She mumbles and figuring that since he was a night owl, she'd get changed before he woke up.

The second Gina had turned her back, Sasuke's eyes open. He'd been awake for about ten minutes. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

The last Uchiha didn't want to wake the sleeping red head up. After all, she had told him she normally only slept once every two or three days. She needed the rest. How the woman got by on so little sleep was still a mystery to him.

He tilts his head to the side. Hmm black lace today. He didn't figure her for a lace girl. It was so…submissive. But he rather liked the way the dark fabric caressed her curves.

At the moment, Sasuke was rather tempted to just burn her Kage robes. It should be illegal to cover that up. He decides against it though. That meant that others would get to see. Nah, he'd never been the type that liked to share. His mother had once scolded him for not sharing his toys with the other kids at the Academy. And in all honesty, he hadn't gotten much better at the whole sharing concept as an adult.

He did feel a little guilty when she reached for her bra clasp though. Sasuke did have SOME ethics. He didn't feel guilty about enjoying the sight of her in her lingerie. She had voluntarily let him see that much during training. But seeing her naked without her knowing, that seemed…sleazy. It wasn't like he was Jirayia or something. He had to draw the line somewhere.

"Want some help, Red?" He murmurs.

"EEP!" Gina says and immediately hides behind a curtain.

"Did you really just eep?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

"You startled me." The Kazekage informs him.

"Sorry. Just thought I should let you know that I was awake. I'm not…Jirayia." He reasons.

"Oh how chivalrous." She says dryly.

"I thought so." He agrees.

"And Red? I didn't know we were on a nickname basis." She mutters.

"I think considering that we are sharing a room, we are. That and you slept in my arms again. " The dark haired ninja states.

""You make a good pillow." She defends herself.

"You just emasculated me in under two seconds there. Impressive." Sasuke says sarcastically.

"If it bothers you to be compared to a pillow, then stop acting like one." She says with a shrug, from behind her curtain.

"You know the whole hiding behind the curtain thing, is pointless. I already saw you in your lingerie when we were training." He states.

"…Good point." She says and comes out from behind the curtain.

"Come on. We should get going. The others are probably wondering what's taking us so long. I'll go get changed in the bathroom." He says, hopping off the bed, and heads inside the bathroom.

Gina sighs. She quickly dresses. Honestly, she didn't know how much longer she'd last on this trip. Between Tsunade's worried looks, the Stone Kage's disapproving one, and actually sharing a room with him…she was probably going to have a heart attack.

When they get there, they watch as Onoki argues with one of the Samurai leaders over seating arrangements. It seemed the Stone Kage was trying correct them regarding Gina and Sasuke's martial status or more accurately lack of.

"They aren't married. There is no reason for them to sit next to each other!" He says.

"Is there a reason that we shouldn't?" He hears Sasuke's velvety voice ask in a far too casual fashion, one that made his blood run cold.

"You damn well know the reason why you shouldn't, Uchiha. Don't play innocent. It doesn't suit you!" He protests.

"Brave words for someone with one foot in the grave." Sasuke muses and looks at the elderly man as if _daring_ him to say something stupid.

"Onoki, everywhere else is full. Stop throwing a temper tantrum. It is unbecoming of a man of your…station." She finishes.

"You were going to say age, weren't you?!" He accuses.

"I was not going to say that." Gina lies.

"Yes, you were! See?! See?! He's already negatively influencing her. The Kazekage has never displayed such disrespect for her elders before." He states as if that confirmed well, everything.

Sasuke tries not to snicker. He really did. But he must have let out a sound of amusement. He winced as he felt Gina elbow him in the ribs like, _Stop it!_

"I apologize for the confusion. But are you two married or not?" The Samurai leader asks.

"We are not. But it was not our intention to offend you or to make things awkward." Gina says, bowing her head formerly.

"I see. Well I certainly appreciate that. I suppose it matters little if you are married or lovers."

"We aren't either." Gina says, her face heating up to match her hair color and once again she cursed the fact that as a red head she was prone to blushing easily.

"Of course, Lady Kazekage. It is perfectly normal for a man and a woman to share a bed, when they aren't married, and aren't lovers." The Samurai says in a way that made her want to slap him silly with her sand.

"Can we get onto discussing the alliance?" Sasuke asks, deciding to save Gina and himself from further embarrassment. (Naruto was never going to let him live this down.)

"Of course. The war showed that Samurai and Ninja are capable of working together to achieve a common goal. We would like to capitalize on this." He begins.

"The sand can trade diamonds for water." Gina says.

"Are you out of your mind, Gina? Diamonds for water?" Naruto asks.

"They look pretty and they are hard to break. They make good weapons, though it's not practical to use them as such because of how many it takes and how rare they are in other parts of the world. We need the water more than jewelry." She states with a shrug.

"A most generous offer. We will have to discuss it further." He says.

"Timber." Naruto says.

"As expected of the Leaf." The Samurai leader nods.

"Stone, obviously." Onoki adds.

This goes on for awhile. It became clear that Naruto really just wasn't the type to sit through diplomatic trade talks easily. Gina noticed he was getting twitchy. She decides to take pity on her friend.

"It's late. I would very much like to explore your lands. I didn't get the opportunity to do so last time I was here, with the war going on." She says politely.

"Of course, Lady Kazekage. You are correct. It is growing late. We can adjourn for today. Happy…exploration." He says glancing at the red head and Sasuke like, _More like exploring your lover. But I'll go along with it anyway._

"Thank you." She says.

"Great! Hey, Gina come on there's a lake outback! Let's go swimming." Naruto says.

"Naruto, I'm from a desert. I don't know how to swim." She says and flails when the blonde drags her off anyway.

"This is going to be entertaining." Sasuke mutters and follows, along with the other Kages.

"Come on, Gina. You can do it. I'll teach you." The blue eyed man tries to encourage her.

"I think I'll just sit right here." She says, sitting at the edge of the lake and letting her legs dip into the shallow end of the lake.

"Awe that's no fun." The blonde whines.

"Loser, if she doesn't want to do it, let her be." Sasuke says rolling his eyes.

"She's gotta learn sometime." Naruto says, getting out of the water, and shoving the red head into the deep end of the lake.

"AHHHH!" Gina cries out and her head goes underneath the water, sand can be seen flailing miserably having been turned into slush from the water.

"YOU IDIOT!" Sasuke growls and jumps into the water, going after the red head once it became clear her head wasn't going to come back up over the water.

Gina flails desperately. She couldn't breathe! The red head knew it was important to get her head above the water. But her sand kept dragging her down. Just as she had decided she was going to haunt Naruto in the afterlife for this, she felt something grab her. She struggles against whatever it was weakly. But it was too strong.

Damn it! What the fuck was wrong with Naruto?! You don't just throw someone who didn't know how to swim into the deep end of a lake!

He grabbed Gina and pulls her to the surface. She was fighting him. Sasuke didn't think she even realized that it was him and that he was trying to prevent he from drowning. But her attempts to push him away were weak at best. She had at most another minute before she could no longer hold her breath. God only knows how much water she'd already swallowed.

"It's okay. I got you." He murmurs into her ear once they get to the surface.

Gina takes in a big gulp of air and promptly spits out a mouthful, well several mouthfuls of water. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt light headed. But she could breathe now.

"That's it. Take it easy." He says and swims her back to the shore.

Naruto felt guilty. He probably shouldn't have thrown her that far into the water. But she was so light. He didn't know his own strength sometimes. Besides, he knew that Sasuke would grab her before she drowned. He would have stepped in if worse came to worse.

"You probably still have some water in you. I'm going to help you spit it out." Sasuke says, sitting behind her and pressing on he stomach, making the red head cough up more water.

"Th-anks." She says.

God, this was fucking humiliating. She'd almost drowned. All the other Kages AND the Uchiha had saw that. She felt so pathetic. Gina feels something wrap wrapped around her. Oh a picnic blanket.

"You can use it to dry off." He murmurs into her ear.

"Geez. Gina, I'm sorry. I didn't think I threw you that hard." Naruto says.

"You fucking moron! You could have killed her." Sasuke says and his Sharingan activates.

"I would have grabbed her, if you didn't. You know that! Gina, knows that. Oh fuck. Sorry, Gina. I'm so sorry." The blonde says.

"It's alright. Just don't do that e-ver again or I will kill you myself." She says and leans back into Sasuke's arms subconsciously seeking the warmth there.

"You are lucky it was her and not me. If you had done that to me and I didn't know how to swim, you would be so dead." Sasuke growls and helps Gina dry off.

Shit! She was shaking. He could tell that she was trying to hide it. But the red head had been terrified. Who wouldn't be? She'd nearly drowned.

He fought back the impulse to hold her tighter and try to soothe her. Sasuke knew the Kazekage well enough to know she was like him. That would have been the ultimate insult to her pride. Bad enough that she needed to be saved in the first place.

"I think I'm going to head back to my room." Gina mutters after a few minutes.

"I'll walk you. I mean it's the least I can do." Naruto says.

"Alright." Gina replies, knowing that Naruto hadn't meant any harm.

It'd be nice if he thought things through a little bit more though. Still he was her first true friend. She couldn't stay mad at him. The Uchiha though, apparently didn't have that problem. If looks could kill, the blonde wouldn't be six feet under…more like 6000.

"Sasuke, maybe it's better if you stay here." She adds when she sees the Uchiha rise to his feet and she suddenly felt worried this might actually come to blows.

"You going to be okay?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah. Thanks for walking me back." She says and heads inside her room.

"Please tell me that you kicked his ass." Sasuke says, coming in a few minutes later and heads to the bathroom, not realizing the Kazekage was already brushing her teeth.

This didn't seem to matter to the last Uchiha. He grabs his own toothpaste and starts brushing his. The bathroom suddenly seemed a lot smaller. She could feel the heat from his body close to hers. She blamed it on his fire affinity. But Sasuke's skin as always warm.

Gina spits out the paste and water she used to rinse her mouth. Then she considers how to answer that. Eh, she'd tell a white lie.

"Yes, I did. I don't think he'll make that mistake again." She says.

"For a ninja, you are a horrible liar." Sasuke says in amusement, after doing likewise.

"I am not!" She protests.

"Yes, you are. You'd never hit Naruto, no matter how much he deserves it." He says.

"Maybe…it's like hitting a puppy or something. Those big blue eyes…you know?" She asks.

"You like his eyes?" Sasuke asks.

"They are very…expressive and blue like the ocean." She answers, not really thinking anything about it.

Sasuke felt irritated. He was not jealous. He was definitely not jealous of Naruto. There wasn't anything going on between him and the Kazekage other than some training and yeah, maybe a little bit of cuddling. But that was a natural reaction when you were sleeping.

Gina doesn't notice it. She heads out of the bathroom and throws some pillows and blankets on the floor. Sasuke looks at her and raises an eyebrow like, _What the Hell are you doing?_

"You felt emasculated by being my pillow. Besides, it really isn't appropriate for us to be sleeping with each other." She states.

"Is this about the Stone Kage?" Sasuke asks.

"Maybe. But he's got a point. We don't need to cause a panic." The red head says.

"We wouldn't?" He asks.

"No, especially not when you're just starting to…fit in again." She says.

"You seem to have confused me for the loser." Sasuke says, suddenly pinning her to the bed.

"Huh?" She asks and squirms underneath his hold.

"Yeah. He's the one that gives a fuck what the idiotic masses think. I don't. I never have. So if they want to freak out that's their problem. All I care about is when you lay next to me, I don't have those dreams." He states.

"Those dreams?" She asks.

"Our pasts still haunt both of us when we close our eyes." Sasuke answers her.

"So you're using me as a Dreamcatcher?" She questions.

"And you are using me as a pillow." He says with a shrug and pulls her onto the bed.

"A mutual exchange then." The red head muses.

"Mhm." He says and lays next to her.

The next morning, they set off. The girls…ahem Tsunade, Mei, and Gina were at the head of the pack this morning. This seemed to happen a lot as the men were normally bickering with each other.

Today, just for a change of pace, Sasuke was bickering with the Stone Kage instead of Naruto. Because hey, even Uchihas needed variety. He wondered if he could make the old coot burst a blood vessel. So he lagged behind the others just to fuck with him.

"I suggest you cease playing with the Lady Kazekage in such a fashion. Even the Samurai realized something was amiss." He warns.

"It's really none of your business. But since you're so curious, do you know where she slept last night?" He asks with a smirk.

"You are vile Uchiha. We should have insisted on separate rooms for the two of you. But the Kazekage is…not some harlot. She might have slept in the same room as you, but that doesn't mean she was foolish enough to let you bed her." He says firmly.

"We slept together." Sasuke says, taunting him.

"… LADY KAZEKAGE! This beast is besmirching your good name!" He glowers at Sasuke.

"Onoki." Gina says with a sigh.

"Do we even want to know?" Mei asks.

"No. Maybe if we ignore their fighting, they'll stop?" The red head suggests.

"I doubt it. It looks like Sasuke is trying to provoke him." Tsunade comments.

"I guess I am morally obligated to make sure the Stone Kage doesn't have a stroke over Sasuke's antics." Gina says and walks to the back of the pack.

"This liar is claiming that the two of you slept together. I thought you should have ample opportunity to refute such a ridiculous claim." He states.

"Uchiha…you didn't." Gina says.

"It's not my fault he assumed I meant it in a sexual way." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"We slept in the same bed because it was more comfortable than the floor. We aren't lovers." She explains.

"Oh. Good! I knew you were smarter than to let this rogue touch you in such a fashion." He states, seeming satisfied.

"Do you get some sort of amusement out of tormenting the elderly?" Gina asks Sasuke raising an eyebrow.

"Not particularly. But he deserved it." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Onoki, stop insisting that the Uchiha is some sort of sex fiend and perhaps he'll learn to behave himself." Gina says and returns to the other women.

"Honestly, I don't know why women fall for a pretty face so easily. Even Mei." Onoki says.

"Bastard, I see you are making lots of new friends." Naruto snorts.

"Always." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Soon enough they return back to the Leaf. The wedding preparations were well under way for Temari and Shikamaru. Gina is dragged off by Temari for some sisterly bonding. Bridal lingerie shopping, the red head wished some merciful deity would strike her down to spare her this humiliation. But alas, her prayers went unanswered.

"Temari, I appreciate that you want to get closer…but couldn't you pick a more normal activity?" Gina mutters.

"This is normal! Sisters go shopping for clothes. Besides, maybe you'll find something to wear for Sasuke eventually." She adds.

"…I am NEVER wearing any of these demonic torture devices. How do people even get into them?" She says looking at one of the items…so many straps and hooks.

"Maybe he's the type that just prefers his lover not to wear anything underneath her clothes. Practical, you know?" She asks.

"We aren't lovers. We are never going to be lovers." The red head snaps.

"Denial." Temari mutters.

Gina hurls the lacey white monstrosity at the back of her sister's head. Hmpf! The red head wasn't in denial. Temari was the insane one. Not her.


	8. Chapter 8

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry this one is late. I got caught up on some of my other stories. For those interested, _**You Saved Me**_ is now done. I also have two female Naruto x Sasuke stories, _**Every Guy's Fantasy**_ and _**Sweet Surrender**_ that are on going for those interested. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: Haven't seen the Chunin Exams in awhile, so it's not an exact flashback. But Gaara is female in this story, so naturally that would change it up a bit. Oh and sorry about Sakura's hair. I just think that Gina would be going WTF…is wrong with you XD.

Chapter Eight

It was a beautiful wedding, Gina noted. Temari and Shikamaru despite being complete opposites were deeply in love. She was happy for her sister. Even if Gina wanted to strangle the busty blonde sometimes, she did love Temari. It was just difficult for her to relate to her elder sister.

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? For richer or for poorer? In sickness and in health? Until death do you part?" The preacher asked Temari.

"I do." She answers without hesitation and Gina couldn't help but envy her sister's certainty.

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? For richer or for poorer? In sickness and in health?" Until death do you part?" The preacher asks Shikamaru.

"I do." He answered, also with absolute certainty.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf and Sand Villages and their respective Nations, I pronounce thee husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He says with a smile.

Shikamaru might have been lazy in nearly every other facet of his life, but it seemed he was not a lazy kisser. Gina blinks. The Shadow User was certainly going for it. The kiss was so passionate that many children had their eyes covered by their parents. Temari returned the kiss with equal intensity.

"They do look happy together." Shibuki comments.

"Very." Gina replies.

He wasn't her date. But somehow they had ended up standing next to each other at the refreshment table. The red head didn't mind this. Shibuki was always friendly and polite to her.

The Kazekage wasn't completely oblivious, she could see some of the appreciative looks he was getting from the other women at the wedding. Why he sought her company out was a mystery. The Sand and Waterfall Village were too far apart geographically for a real alliance to form.

"Do you ever think of attending a wedding as the bride?" He asks her.

"Me? Get married? No." She answers automatically.

The idea had never occurred to her. She was frankly just getting used to most people not being utterly terrified of her. The red head now understood the concept of friendship, but anything beyond that was still utterly alien to her.

"Are you against the institution?" Shibuki questions curiously.

"Against the institution? No. I can see where it has merit and it certainly makes some people very happy. I am just personally not suited for it." She replies.

She was surprised by the question. But she wasn't angry. Besides, how could she be angry when there was such a large delicious looking chocolate cake nearby?

Cake…she liked cake. She really liked frosting. Gina rarely indulged her sweet tooth. She didn't want to be mocked for it, like Naruto was for his obsession with ramen. But it was a wedding. She could get away with it.

While Gina's thoughts were on the cake, Temari threw her bouquet. It landed right in the red head's hands. She didn't realize what happened until she heard the crowd gasp and good natured teasing from people that she was positive had a death wish.

"They don't actually believe that my catching flowers means anything, do they?" She asks her companion for the evening.

"It's tradition. It looks like the flowers find you very suitable for it." He states with amusement.

"Oh yes. Of course. Well if the roses think so, then I suppose that settles that." She replies, sarcastically.

Shibuki it seemed was too nice a person to register that as sarcasm. He smiles at her and offers the Kazekage his arm. At first she was confused, then she realized that he was asking her to dance.

"I've never danced before." She says.

"There's a first time for everything. I'll teach you. It's easy." He reassures her.

"Alright." She says and decides to humor the other village leader, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

Sasuke watches with some amusement as Shikamaru gets ready to throw the garter belt. His amusement was quickly soured when he saw Shibuki lead Gina to the dance floor. He didn't know why that irritated him. He just did. Scratch that, it royally pissed him off. He was busy glaring daggers into the back of his head, when Shikamaru tossed it. Sasuke caught it automatically without thinking about it. This triggered quite the reaction from the crowd. Naruto slapped him on the back good naturedly.

"You are such a loser. You don't actually believe in this stuff, do you?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

Of course, he did. Naruto was an idiot. The blonde was a romantic. He probably believed in love at first sight too. His best friend clearly didn't live in the real world.

"Oh come on, bastard! It's tradition." Naruto states.

"It's a stupid one." Sasuke replies.

"You seem in an especially bastardly mood today. You'd think you'd be happy. I thought you and Shikamaru were friends now. Aren't you happy for him? You don't think he'll be happy with Temari or something?" The blonde asks.

"We are. I am happy for him. Temari is probably just what he needs to make him stop being so damn lazy. No, it's not that. And I'm not in a bad mood." Sasuke snaps at him.

"Uh huh. That's why you look like you want to kill someone." Naruto says.

"Idiot." Sasuke mutters and smacks him upside the head.

"Sasuke, I'd appreciate it if you and Naruto didn't have a brawl at my wedding." Shikamaru says.

"Sorry, Shikamaru. The loser is just being annoying, as usual." He states and rolls his eyes.

"This is a slow dance. So it should be easy." Shibuki tells her and wraps his arms around her waist.

That's when Sasuke felt his eyes bleed red. He wanted to snap the other man's neck. That's when he realized what it was. He was jealous. Dammit!

He didn't have any right to be jealous. They weren't together and they were never going to be together. She was a Kage. He had attacked the Kage Summit for crying out loud.

"Alright." Gina says and that's when she looked over her dancing partner's shoulder and saw Sasuke.

Sasuke's Sharingan was active. The red head knew him well enough to realize this was almost never a good sign. Why was he looking at her with such anger? It didn't make any sense. Still she decided it'd be best to talk to him in order to prevent a blood bath.

"Shibuki, perhaps we can finish our dance another time?" She asks.

"Is something wrong, Lady Kazekage?" He asks in concern.

"Nothing yet. But I want to make sure it stays that way." The red head responded.

"Of course." He nods his head politely and she made her way over to Sasuke cautiously.

"Hey, Gina!" Naruto says cheerfully.

"Naruto." She says and nods her head politely.

She was always happy to see the bubbly blonde. But for now, her focus was on preventing a disaster. It seemed that either Naruto was oblivious to the Uchiha's foul mood or maybe he thought it was best not to comment on it and risk setting him off.

"Are you upset because you caught the garter belt?" Gina asks.

"What? Oh yeah." Sasuke lies and notices there were some women looking at him and giggling, he could get away with blaming the belt.

"It is a silly superstition." She offers.

"Very." Sasuke agrees.

"But I suppose it falls to me to protect your virtue. Come dance with me?" She asks.

"How very kind of you." Sasuke states dryly and nods, following her to the dance floor.

"This is only my second dance. So I apologize in advance if I step on your toes." She warns him.

"How is it a possible that a Kage doesn't know how to dance? I get swimming. You live in a desert. But aren't Kages supposed to attend formal functions?" Sasuke asks, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"We do. It's just no one has ever asked me before. They were afraid of the demon. Now that the war is over and the demon is gone, I guess they might start asking more. Most likely to be polite and to avoid some perceived slight." She says and her arms settle on his shoulders.

"Idiots. If they hadn't treated you like a monster, you wouldn't have acted like one. We play the parts assigned to us, more than anything." He mutters.

"Naruto didn't. He had a demon the same as me. He never gave into the madness." She says.

"Naruto isn't normal." Sasuke points out.

"That's true. But none of us are really normal. Ninjas have to be at least partially insane to even become ninjas. Going into a field where you know there is a high chance you will die before you are 30, isn't very sane." She muses.

"I've never really thought of it that way. But you have a point." He says, swaying to the music with her.

Dancing with Sasuke was different than with Shibuki. Shibuki was so friendly, so gentle. It was calming. Being next to the Uchiha though, that was like getting caught up in a blazing inferno. She preferred the fire. Gina blamed the demon for this, even if he had long since been removed.

 _The Chunin Exams. That's supposedly why they were going to the Leaf Village. Gina knew better though. The attack had been planned well in advance. She knew nothing of the Leaf, only that it had been one of the Sand's major rivals during a previous war. Now they were at peace, so they thought anyway._

 _Did the 12 year old red head care about any of this? No. She didn't. The only thing she cared about was proving her existence. The best way to do this was to prove that other people's existences were meaningless._

 _"You, who are you?" She heard someone say._

 _"Who me?" Temari asks and points at herself._

 _"No, not you. The one with the gourd on her back." The voice elaborates._

 _Gina turns around. This one was different from his companions. A loud blonde was to his left and a girl with pink hair was to his right. She assumed them to be teammates. But they couldn't be anymore different._

 _"Gina of the Sand. I'm curious about you as well." She said._

 _It was true. His eyes. They were just like hers. No, not the color. The expression. He wanted to kill just as badly as she did. Though his were more…focused. It was personal. Whereas her urge to prove her existence was more general, she'd kill whoever she could. His didn't seem directed towards her, her siblings, or even his loud teammates._

 _She would not have blamed him one bit, if she did the ninja world a favor and killed that pink haired girl? A ninja with pink hair? That was a disgrace._

 _"HEY ISN'T ANYONE GOING TO ASK FOR MY NAME?!" The blonde yelled._

 _"No. I don't care." Gina said._

 _"We're here for the Chunin Exams." Temari told them and flashed their passes._

 _"The Chunin Exams?" The blonde asked._

 _"Don't tell me, you didn't know. What kind of ninja are you?" Kankuro asked._

 _"Of course I knew! I was just asking to make sure you knew!" The blonde protests._

 _Gina vaguely notes the conversation. But she didn't care. Finally, a worthy opponent. Somehow who wanted to prove themselves just as much as she did. There was always a rush that came with every kill. But she'd never felt such…a pull before._

 _She'd enjoy killing him. The red head never been hopeful before. But she hoped that she would get to face him in the exams. Sasuke was perceptive, he seemed instinctively aware that Gina had decided to target him. His eyes met hers._

 _"Let's get going. We are going to be late. We don't want to get in trouble for picking a fight before the exams." Kankuro said._

 _Gina allowed herself to be led off by her siblings. She takes one last look back at the team that would later change her life. Naruto would show her that another existence was possible. He would teach her about friendship. Sakura would be partly responsible for saving he life. Sasuke…well Sasuke had made her feel ALIVE._

"I usually do. There is a reason I was made Kazekage." She states.

"If anyone else had said that, I'd accuse them of bragging." Sasuke muses.

"Maybe I was a little." She admits.

"Speaking that, Temari wouldn't let you wear your robes, I take it." The last Uchiha states and his eyes scan her.

She was wearing a black sleeveless dress. It came to her ankles but it was form fitting. Everyone else was getting an eyeful of what he had already know. Those robes could hide A LOT.

"No. Something about how only the bride should wear white. I tried to reason with her, but she is unreasonable." Gina replies.

"The black suits you." Sasuke says and Gina finds herself smiling.

It really did. It blended well with her blood red hair. She'd grown it out, he noted. During the Chunin Exams, it had only come a few inches past her shoulders. Now it came all the way to her back. It matched her marking on her forehead, that was the symbol for the word love perfectly.

"Oh believe me, I know all about unreasonable siblings." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"At least now you know the truth." She says sympathetically.

Gina didn't do pity. That was something that Sasuke was grateful for. When most people found out the truth, that was their reaction.

"How do you think that Honeymoon is going to go? Shikamaru is so lazy and Temari is…feisty." Sasuke muses.

"Uchiha, I would rather not think about my sister in a sexual fashion, ever." Gina scoffs.

"I'm just saying. Shadow possession is probably going to be involved." He states with a smirk, enjoying getting under her fur.

"I'm not listening. Wait what about Shadow Possession? What does that have to do with a Honeymoon?" She asks.

"Sorry. Forget I said anything. I forget that in certain respects you are just as innocent as Naruto." He states.

"No. I want to know!" She says.

"No, you don't." Sasuke says and her twirls her as the song ends, starting off.

"God dammit Uchiha!" She states and follows him.

She as going to find out what he was talking about. The young Kage didn't like being left out of the loop. She didn't care for that at all. Sasuke was going to tell he one way or another.

"While he has control of someone's shadow, he has control of their body." He says once they were alone.

"Yes? So?" She questions.

"It'd be like handcuffs but more…extreme." Sasuke continues.

"Handcuffs? What do handcuffs have to do with any of this?" She asks.

"You are way too innocent." Sasuke says.

It was funny in a way. The woman before him had been a stone cold killer long before she was even a teenager. Yet, she didn't know that handcuffs could be used during sex? He'd laugh, if he thought she wouldn't try to strike him with a giant fist made of sand.

"I surmise this is somehow sexual." She states.

"It is." He tells her.

"I do not like being…ignorant of any subject." The red head continues.

"Some people find the idea of restraining their partner during sex erotic. Hence handcuffs and how Shikamaru's Shadow Possession could be applied to certain situations." Sasuke explains.

"Ohhh. I understand now. Though I don't understand why anyone would agree to such a thing. To leave yourself helpless…it doesn't seem like it would be an enjoyable experience and it is a foolish thing to do." She decrees.

"Well there's no set rule that the woman has to be the one restrained. It does take a great deal of trust though." He agrees.

Meanwhile with Tsunade and Onoki, the busty blonde stops Onoki from following Gina and Sasuke. She shakes her head. If he went out there, it wouldn't end well.

"Onoki, if you try to prevent Sasuke from speaking with her…he'll just do it more to spite you." She warns the other Kage.

"You have a point. But still we must do something about this situation. I do not want to see her get hurt." He relents.

"Unfortunately, there really isn't much we can do. I have tried to talk to her. At least from Gina's perspective, it seems highly unlikely she'd actually try to seek out a relationship with him. So perhaps you are overreacting. Besides, after the wedding she is going back to the Sand. Out of sight, out of mind." The woman says and seems to be trying to convince herself as much as the elderly man before her.

"Perhaps. I hope that is the case. I can see nothing but disaster coming from this." He replies with a sigh.

"I agree." She admits and watches fretfully.

Karin was dancing with Naruto now. The blonde was surprisingly graceful on the dance floor and battlefield. Everywhere else, he was a klutz. Karin didn't mind though. Naruto was the first person to actually are about her as a person and not just want to use her for her medical abilities.

"What do you think upset the bastard?" Naruto asks as he twirls his dancing partner.

"He was jealous. Thankfully, the Kazekage seemed to realize something was going on. That could have resulted in a bloodbath." She says and smiles, enjoying the dancing.

"You really think so? That wouldn't be like him." The blonde seems to be considering this.

"Trust me, he was." She says.

"Alright. Well that's a good sign! I mean if he doesn't kill someone over it." Naruto mutters quickly, realizing with Sasuke's temper that was likely a very real possibility.

"Yeah. That's what I'm worried about." She admits.

Back with Gina and Sasuke, he could tell the red head was pondering the implications of handcuffs and other restraints. It was…interesting to watch. Gina wasn't normally the most expressive person in the world with her facial expressions. But he could probably see her going _Hmm._

"Would you ever consent to such a thing? Being restrained like that?" She asks.

"Probably not. It would depend on who was asking mostly." He says.

"You'd prefer to be the one who does the tying up." She states.

"It's not really one of my main fantasies. But in that situation, yeah." He answers.

"My sister is coming. I'll speak to you later." Gina says and Sasuke blinks, the red head was a lot faster than he thought she was.

"Sasuke! Did you see where Gina went?" Temari asks.

"She went that way." Sasuke says, pointing right…when in reality Gina had gone left.

"Thanks!" The blonde says and runs off.

"I am so not getting in the middle of that." Sasuke mutters to himself.

"Women can be so troublesome." Shikamaru states.

"When'd you get here?" The last Uchiha asks.

"About the same time as Temari. I just let her do the talking." The cloud lover answers.

"Makes sense. She's definitely the more extraverted of you two." Sasuke observes.

"Yeah. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind watching my place while we were away on the Honeymoon." Shikamaru says.

"I'll check in on it now and then. That's not an issue." Sasuke assures him.

"Thank you." He says.

"So what were you and Gina talking about?" He asks.

"…" Sasuke didn't know how to answer that.

Gina was the type of person who could discuss anything in the same monotone voice. But he knew if he told Shikamaru they were discussing the merits of handcuffs and other forms of restraints, the shadow user would never let him hear the end of it. He already had Naruto to contend with. Thankfully, Naruto was largely oblivious. But Shikamaru was a genius. It'd be an issue if he meddled. Besides, there was nothing to meddle in!

"Alright, so I guess I should file that under the I don't want to know category." Shikamaru offers.

"Yeah, it'd probably be better." Sasuke agrees.

"Done." He says.

"Really? Just like that?" Sasuke asks in amazement.

"I know you. If you don't want to talk about something, there's no point in forcing it. Besides, you'll tell me if you want to later on." He adds.

"Thanks." Sasuke says.

"Yeah. Come on, it'll be a drag if you don't get a piece of that cake." Shikamaru says and walks back inside with his friend.

Sasuke follows Shikamaru. It was nice to have friends, he thought. He was beginning to understand Naruto's obsession with friendship now.


	9. Chapter 9

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I agree with the guest reviewer that the Chunin Exam scene was a pretty good cause for why this could be a pairing. That's how I got this idea in my head actually. ^^ Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: A bit shorter than I like but we have a confession of sorts.

Chapter Nine

Well Gina had tried. She had tried and failed to avoid her sister. Dammit. Temari was very persistent when she wanted to be.

"So what was all that about?" She asks.

"I have no idea what you are referring to. Perhaps you should be seeking out Shikamaru's company and not mine on this evening. It is your wedding night." The red head reminds her.

"Oh I'm going to in a few minutes. But I saw all that. You were dancing with Shibuki and then suddenly stopped to walk over to Sasuke. Are you still going to try to pretend something isn't going on?" She questions in amusement.

This was going to be unpleasant. Temari could be like a dog with a bone sometimes. Really, she wished that her sister wasn't so damn stubborn. It was supposed to be red heads who were stubborn, not blondes.

"Nothing is going on. Well nothing that you think anyway. I was merely concerned because he looked…angry." Gina defends herself.

"He was jealous? That's so cute." Temari says.

"Cute?! You think it's cute? He could have leveled your wedding venue. Do you not know what his temper is like?" The Kazekage asks and wonders if at long last her elder sister had taken complete leave of her senses.

"Oh I'm sure he wouldn't have. He's not stupid. That could have set off a war. Anyway, you caught the roses. He caught the garter." She continues as if that proved something.

"That is a stupid tradition and means absolutely nothing." Gina informs her.

"Uh huh. And if I told you that Sasuke was currently dancing with Sakura?" She asks.

"What?" Gina asks and her sand rears up.

"He's not. I got you though. Your sand responds to your will. You'd be jealous if he was." She muses.

"I would not be jealous. The Uchiha is free to dance with whoever he pleases and I am likewise free to do so." She snaps.

"Gina, it's not nice to lie. Not even to yourself." She chuckles.

"You are trying to embody that dumb blonde stereotype tonight, aren't you?" The red head growls.

"The Council won't like it. But don't let that stop you. If you like him, you should go for it." She says.

"You are assuming far too much. First of all, you assume that I am capable of having romantic feelings. Secondly, you assume I have them for him. Third, you actually believe he would return these imagined feelings. And finally, most stupidly of all that we would both act on them, KNOWING the potential political consequences." She finishes her little speech.

"You've thought about the consequences. That means you have these feelings. Denial is not healthy." She says with a sly wink and walks off as if she had won the argument.

"Why couldn't I have been an only child?!" Gina fumes.

Sasuke meanwhile was eating some cake with Shikamaru. He knew that the Shadow User was just biding his time. While Shikamaru didn't pry like most people, he was more than content to wait until he got the answers he wanted.

He was just waiting for Sasuke to slip up. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had no intention of doing so.

"Good cake." He mutters.

"Yeah. Temari really went all out." Shikamaru says and sips some rather expensive sake.

"So are you moving to the Sand or she moving to the Leaf?" The last Uchiha asks his friend.

"She's moving here. I have family here. She has Gina and Kankuro, but she's never been that close to her sister and Kankuro says he'll visit regularly. Plus, I've become too vital to our Intelligence Unit to lose." He adds as an afterthought.

"Yeah. They'd pitch a fit if they lost you." Sasuke admits.

"Yeah. Speaking of pitching fits…" The lazy ninja says and lets the implication hang in the air.

"I didn't throw a fit." Sasuke scoffs.

"No, but you wanted to." The other genius points out.

"Maybe, a little." He concedes.

"You were jealous." Shikamaru says.

"I was NOT jealous." The last Uchiha growls.

"Then why are you growling at me? It's not very good manners to growl at the groom on his wedding day, unless you are his wife in the Honeymoon Suite." He says slyly.

"Does Temari growl?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"Sometimes. I think it's a Sand Village thing." He answers.

"Ah yeah. Probably. They are a little more…feral than most." Sasuke agrees.

"Yes. But that's not the point. The point is you were jealous. You are in denial. You two need to figure out what you are to each other and if necessary establish boundaries. You aren't a normal man, Sasuke. If you lose your temper, people are going to get hurt. Possibly lots of people. The same goes for Gina. Her sand reacts instinctively to her emotions." Shikamaru tries to reason with his stubborn friend.

"Your imagining things." Sasuke states flatly.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I work in the Intelligent Unit. I have ways of making you talk if it comes to it. I consider this a matter of international security. So I will employ distasteful methods if I must. I'd rather not have though. It'd be a drag." Shikamaru adds the last part to lighten the mood.

"Alright. Fine. I was jealous. I don't have any right to be jealous. It's not like we are together or ever were. It's just…hard to explain." He says.

"Alright. I'll make this simple. I'm dumb it down to Naruto level." Shikamaru says.

"That's pretty damn dumb. You sure you can do that?" Sasuke asks with a chuckle.

"Yes, I am sure. Do you find her attractive?" Shikamaru questions.

"Yes." Sasuke says and thinks especially when she's in nothing but her lingerie.

"Do you enjoy being around her?" Shikamaru continues.

"Yeah." Sasuke admits.

"Do you trust her?" He asks yet another question.

"Yes. She saved my life by arguing on my behalf." The last Uchiha answers.

"So you are attracted to her, you like being around her, you trust her, and you know she's single. I don't see how this is complicated." Shikamaru summarizes.

"It is. She's from another village. Not only that she's the Kage! I attacked the Kage Summit! Even if you overlook all that, I don't know if she wants me that way. Let's say she does, is she really willing to risk the acceptance she's gained to be with a former S Class Criminal?" Sasuke asks.

"Those are all questions you should ask HER, not me. And Sasuke, I think it's pretty clear she does. She argued on your behalf. She arranged that rematch. She clearly wanted your attention." He replies.

"Maybe she just wanted to prove that I wasn't psychotic and could hold myself back. It could have just been about pride. We never finished our first match." He counters.

"Possibly. But I doubt it. If you don't make a move, Shibuki probably will. And Sasuke?" Shikamaru begins.

"Yeah?" He responds.

"On paper he's a much better match. He's not a former S Class Criminal. He's known for his calm personality. He's the leader of another village. Attractive. And he is less emotionally damaged than you. So if I was you, I probably wouldn't waste anymore time." Shikamaru advises.

Sasuke frowns. Shikamaru had a point. He still didn't really know how to approach Gina. He wasn't even sure if she knew HOW to be in a romantic relationship, much less if she wanted to be in one…especially with him. He heads off. A month later, he saw his opportunity.

"I need someone to go with Iruka to the Sand. The Sand is expanding its Academy program and wants to make sure it's on par with ours." Naruto says, while looking at a group of Jonin.

"I'll go." Sasuke says.

"Alright bastard. Be sure to tell Gina, that I said hi." The blonde tells him.

"I will." He agrees and three days later, he arrived in the Sand Village.

He'd never actually been there before. Not surprisingly, it was fucking hot. He'd been in the desert before, but only rarely. Thankfully, he'd already applied suntan lotion to his skin. Sasuke was positive that the harsh desert Sun had it out for him. He was not going to look like one of his beloved tomatoes.

He heads to Gina's office. Iruka was already being escorted to the apartment, he'd be staying in during his visit. Sasuke didn't need to babysit his former teacher any longer. Sasuke knocks on her door.

"Come in." He hears the red head say.

Sasuke walks in. Idly, he noted that Gina was something of a neat freak. It looked like all her files were rather well organized and there wasn't a speck of dust to be found anywhere.

She had a cactus on her desk. There were ruby flowers blooming on it, so it was actually pretty in an unconventional way. Yeah, that was going to have to be moved. He didn't like the idea of getting pricked by it. It figures even the flowers she liked would be dangerous.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here? Is Naruto in danger?" She asks and tilts her head to the side.

"No. He's fine. I came as Iruka's bodyguard." He answers.

"Oh. That seems…a bit excessive. Sending someone of your skill to protect a relatively unknown Academy teacher." She states in amusement.

"It was an excuse to see you, more than anything else." He admits.

"Why did you need to see me?" She asks.

Sasuke wisely moves that cactus off the desk. Yeah, he wasn't going to get pricked by that thing. He decides the direct approach was best.

"You remember when you said that you thought I was like a tiger? That I didn't do romance and would just pounce? Well…I'm pouncing." He tells her.

"Yes. I remember. What are you talking about?" She asks.

She soon understood exactly what he was talking about. Sasuke pulled her out of her chair, set her on the desk, and then he kissed her. He REALLY kissed her.

She gasps when she felt his lips against hers. That was apparently all the invitation the Uchiha needed to deepen the kiss. She felt his tongue glide along hers in a seductive coaxing dance.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that he tasted like cinnamon. His lips were surprisingly soft against hers. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and returns the kiss.

 _Soft. Warm. Strawberries._ For such a vicious warrior, her kiss was surprisingly soft and warm. She tasted like strawberries.

Sasuke liked strawberries and decided to push his luck further by introducing his tongue to her mouth. The gamble seemed to pay off because he felt her place her arms around his neck and return his kiss.

"Two things. First, I'm glad you moved that cactus. Second, I was definitely right about the pouncing." Gina says, breaking the kiss, and catching her breath.

"I thought it would be less romantic if either of us got pricked by a cactus during it." Sasuke agrees.

"Good thinking." She mutters, not sure what to say next.

Her heart was racing. She didn't know that it was capable of beating so fast. Yet, it would skip a couple beats here and there. It felt painfully good. It was similar to the rush that facing him in battle provided, only a thousand times more intense.

"I thought so." He replies and though he voice the question, Gina knew that he was waiting for some kind of answer.

"What exactly do you want?" She asks.

"Well first of all I want to kiss you again." Sasuke answers.

"And then?" Gina questions.

"I'd move down to your neck and mark it." He replies.

"Sasuke, you know what I meant." The red head states.

"I want you to be my tigress. This isn't about just one night for me." He answers.

"There are a million reasons why this is a bad idea." She says.

"I know." Sasuke agrees, nodding.

"You live in the Leaf. I'm Kazekage. It'd be a long distance relationship or you'd have to move here. Naruto would never agree to that." She warns him.

"I don't mind long distance. Neither of us is particularly needy." Sasuke responds.

"The political implications are…enormous. Onoki already loathes you. The Sand's Council fears you. Others would be worried about you reviving your clan. Which is ridiculous because I'm not fit to be a mother." She continues.

"I don't care what some Kage who has one foot in the grave thinks. The same applies to the Sand Council. Who says you aren't fit to be a mother?" He asks.

"Which is another thing. You want to revive your clan. You can't do that with me. This is a completely dead ended relationship. Doomed from the start." She ignores his question.

"Yes, I do. But don't ignore the question. Who the Hell told you THAT?" Sasuke demands.

"No one did. It was just rather obvious. Sasuke, babies are VERY fragile. I'm not good with fragile. I'm not a loving person. Babies need love. Children need love." She tells him.

"You care about hurting them. You're fit. It's just a question of if you want to. But you don't need to worry about that right now. It's not like I expected to get you pregnant tonight. Like you said, we live in two different villages. If that happened, I'd have to move to the Sand. I am not being separated from my child for possibly weeks or even months on end." Sasuke states.

"I still think you are wrong. But maybe we could go back to kissing. I like it when you kiss me. We can go from there?" She asks.

"Good idea." Sasuke says and recaptures her lips in a heated kiss.

She kisses back. Kissing was ecstasy. Why hadn't she done this before? Was every kiss like this? She doubted it. No one would ever do anything else, if it was. Wanting to increase the contact, she wraps her legs around his waist to pull him closer.

Sasuke groans in approval at this move. He breaks the kiss by tugging on her lower lip suggestively. Then he keeps his promise and goes right for her neck.

"Nhh!" She cries out and tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to him.

He kissed, nipped, licked, bit, and sucked along her throat. Gina decided she liked necking. The red head shyly presses a kiss along the pale column of his neck.

His eyes flash red. She was beginning to notice a pattern here. So the Kazekage does it again. Yes, the Sharingan was definitely activated. Was that some sort of sign of arousal?

Before she could ponder this thought further, the door slammed open. Three children with cameras and notebooks came in. They blinked. All of them were about 12.

"So-rry Lady Kazekage. Lord Kankuro said that we could come in. R-emember you agreed to give us an interview for our school paper?" The girl of the group asks.

One of the boys snapped a few pictures. Dammit! She definitely didn't need those getting out. He ran off. Fuck! Not good!

"…Yes, I remember. But first, I think I should go talk to your friend." She says.

"I'll do it." Sasuke says.

"Uchiha, don't harm him. He is just a child." She warns him.

"See? Your maternal instincts are perfectly functional. I'm not going to hurt the kid. I'm just going to crush his damn camera." Sasuke says and he takes off.

"Right. Well I did promise an interview." Gina mutters.

She normally wouldn't have really minded. She expected generic questions about being the Kazekage or them asking for the war. She wasn't expecting what she got. It probably had something to do with the fact they had walked in on her and the Uchiha in a rather compromising position. She was pretty sure she was going to have lovebites from that encounter.

"How long have you and Sasuke Uchiha been together?" The girl asks.

Dammit. This wasn't going to end well. How long had they been together? About five minutes.

"…That has nothing to do with anything you need to know for your article." Gina answers.

"Sure it does! We are interviewing you about your life. Your love life is part of that!" The boy chimes in.

"My lovelife is not to be mentioned in this article. Is that clear?" The Kazekage demands.

"Awe come on! It's so romantic!" The girl says.

"…Dare I even ask?" The older female ninja replies.

"Well after everything that happened. It's so romantic that you realized that deep down the bad boy has a heart of gold and your hidden romance! And you found love after everything you've been through! Just like the tattoo on your head says!" She replies with a smile and Gina was convinced this girl had probably come up with some crazy fairytale romance in her head.

"You'll have to excuse Kara. She's a little…you know…" The boy trails off and makes a circular motion with his hands by his head to symbolize crazy.

"I AM NOT CRAZY!" She yells at him.

"Yes, you are." He snaps back at her.

"It seems you two are the ones who should have the romance. You bicker like an old married couple." She states in amusement.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" They yell in unison.

"You just raised your voice at your Kage. That is not a very promising start to your ninja careers. But I will overlook it as long as you do not tell anyone about what you saw here today." Gina offers.

"S-orry, Lady Kazekage. It's just he makes me so mad sometimes!" She says.

"My apologies as well." He states as formerly as a 12 year old was capable of managing.

"Good. So ask me whatever you had planned before you saw that." She says.

"Saw what, Lady Kazekage?" They both ask.

"Exactly." She says with a smile.

"Kid give me that damn camera." Sasuke says, darting ahead of him.

"Y-es, sir." He says and hands it over, his entire body shaking.

The boy wasn't an idiot. He had heard of Sasuke. He knew what he was capable of. If the Lady Kazekage couldn't beat him in a "friendly" match. He didn't have a prayer of survival if he pissed him off.

"Good. It's not nice to take people's picture without their permission." Sasuke informs him.

"Yes, sir." He mumbles.

Sasuke nods and smashes the camera to bits. Then he goes back the Kazekage tower. He saw the other two kids were leaving.

"How'd that go?" He asks.

"Better than expected. I believe they won't tell anyone. You?" Gina replies.

"Smashed the camera. Kid is terrified of me. I think we are good." Sasuke answers.

"Good. Are we keeping…whatever this is a secret?" She questions.

"I don't have a problem with it being known. I'd prefer it really. But I can understand why you would." Sasuke offers.

"It's going to get out eventually. I'd just prefer it if it wasn't a picture of us while I was acting like THAT." She says.

"Acting like what?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

"You know what." She answers and blushes.

"No, I don't." He states.

"That…wanton." She mutters and crosses her arms defensively.

"I like it when you act that way. But you have a point. I'd rather not have anyone else see you like that. I'm possessive that way." He admits, sitting on her chair, and pulling her into his lap.

"Sasuke, I think I should warn you about something." She starts to say but it was too late, the chair was already spinning around.

"Oh…this could be fun." Saske says with a smirk.


	10. Chapter 10

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. In this chapter, the actual relationship really starts sorta lol. Anyway please enjoy.

Chapter Ten

Kissing was an extremely enjoyable experience, Gina decided. She really should have attempted it sooner. She was realistic enough to realize that she really didn't know if it was just the act of kissing itself, the fact that she was him kissing her, or both that made her heart race.

Did it really matter at this moment? No, she answered her unvoiced question. It felt good. It was clearly consensual, why not indulge in this whim? It wasn't like one could get pregnant merely from kissing and she doubted anyone would believe him if he told them.

"You know, I think it would be worth becoming a Kage just to get one of these chairs." Sasuke pants into her ear, nibbling on it.

"There are certain perks that come with the title, ye-s." She admits breathlessly.

Oh yes, she also learned that spinning chairs were fun. Well she'd always known that. It was by far her favorite piece of furniture in her office. But a spinning chair + kissing Sasuke = A whole lot of fun.

She found herself both dizzy from all the spinning and the passion of his kisses. But it was a delirious, joyful dizziness. The kind of pure exhilaration that only a small child could achieve from spinning around really fast in circles, for no reason other than the simple pleasure such an activity provided.

"Any other perks?" He asks.

"Yes, but none that I feel inclined to tell you about at this moment." She taunts him.

"Oh really? How about now?" He says and kisses the pale column of her throat, biting down lightly.

"That isn't fighting fair." She lets out a contented sigh and leans back against him, wanting to feel more of his touch.

"Former S Class Criminal, remember? I don't care about fair." He smirks and licks the bite mark soothingly.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sasuke had discovered that Gina appeared to have a bit of a biting fetish. She liked being bitten. That's when she moaned the loudest, with the possible exception of when he got daring enough to caress her clothed breasts. She definitely liked that as well.

"Right. I should have taken that into consideration." She concedes.

He was a little surprised to discover how sensitive her neck was though. He smirks, Sasuke would have to remember that for later. He was memorized by the sounds she made.

Gina for such a quiet person, was rather vocal once touched. Moans, sighs, pants, growls, and even a whimper or two. The whimpers were particularly intriguing. That was far more submissive than he would have expected from her.

"Exactly. So are you going to tell me?" He asks again.

"Possibly at some point in the future, I may give it some consideration." She answers.

"I don't think you could have possibly covered your ass any better there. That was impressive." Sasuke says and his eyes dance with amusement.

"Thank you. I do try." She replies with a smile.

"You succeed. So how do you want to do this?" He says and kisses her shoulder, which had become exposed awhile ago from all the sliding around.

"I think what we are doing right now is quite enjoyable. I see no reason to change." She says and tilts her head back just enough to kiss him.

"I meant about telling everyone or did you prefer to keep it a secret?" He asks and returns her kiss.

"I think we should keep it a secret until we know that this relationship will last long enough for it to be worth mentioning to them. Three months seems like an acceptable timetable." She offers.

"Three months?" The last Uchiha asks skeptically.

"We would be lucky to see each other more than 3 or 5 times in that period. It more or less would take a week to see each other for a day. It's a three day journey in either direction and that's not counting the return trip." She reasons.

"True. Three months then. Unlike the loser, I can keep a secret that long." He says with a smirk.

"Sasuke that was cruel." Gina says and shakes her head.

"But accurate." He protests.

"I can't argue with that assessment. But it was still cruel." She gives a small snort of amusement.

"Maybe a little." He concedes with a shrug.

"Then we are agreement? If things are still going well in three months we'll go public with our relationship?" She inquires.

"It's not ideal. But it is a logical choice." Sasuke says with a nod.

"Good. Now where were we?" She asks and turns around, so she was facing him, while sitting in his lap, on that chair.

"You were whimpering." Sasuke states.

"I do not whimper!" She protests.

"Yes, you do and I like it." He tells her.

"Uchiha, I do not fucking whimper!" Gina argues.

"It was a noise that sounded suspiciously like one then." He taunts her smugly.

Gina was about to explain why Kazekages certainly do not whimper, when the door flew open. She jumped off Sasuke's lap as if she had been burnt. Thankfully, Iruka was too busy looking at his papers to have noticed.

"Lady Kazekage, thank you for inviting me to your village. It is an honor to help the Sand with it's Academy Program. I have recommended some changes and made comments on the current programs and laid it out in this report." He states and hands it to her.

"That was very thoughtful and thorough of you. The honor is all ours. We hope to continue this most beneficial relationship into the future." She says diplomatically and adjusts the sleeve of her Kage robes.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. I do hope you find the recommendations useful. Lady Kazekage, is something wrong with your neck?" He asks in concern.

Damn Sasuke! Damn him! He must have given her hickeys. Gggrrr how was she supposed to explain this one?

"I'm afraid that a scarf I wore in the Snow Country was too tight and left a few minor bruises." She offers.

Sasuke gives her a look like, _Really? That's what you are going with? Have you ever even been to the Snow Country?_ The red head gives him a look that promised pain if Sasuke said anything.

"Oh well I understand visiting the Snow Country would be pretty traumatic for someone used to a desert climate. But still you shouldn't tie your scarf so tightly." He says.

"I'll remember that next time. I shall look at your reports immediately. I truly appreciate all the effort you put forth to present them so swiftly." She continues, diplomatically.

Sasuke was impressed. She was speaking as if they hadn't just been making out for the past half hour or so. Fast recovery time.

"Of course. Oh hello, Sasuke. I didn't mean to interrupt." Iruka says good naturedly.

"It's alright. I was just asking Gina, where I should stay for the night." Sasuke supplies.

"Ah of course. Well good night to both of you. No need to rush. I shall be here for a few days." Iruka tells her.

"Of course. Thank you." Gina says and sighs in relief once he left.

"A scarf? Seriously? That's what you came up with?" He taunts her.

"Yes! I didn't exactly have a lot of notice. I had to come up with something. I could hardly tell him the truth!" She says.

"Thank God the man probably has never gotten laid once in his life. He probably doesn't even know what hickeys are. He's like a damn priest." Sasuke states.

"Sasuke, you are horrible sometimes." Gina says and shakes her head in amusement.

"Maybe. But I'm the horrible person that can make you whimper." He says smugly and disappears in a swirl of flames.

"What did I get myself into?" Gina asks and looks upwards as if she sincerely expected the Heavens to grant her some sort of answer to her question.

The next day, proved amusing for Gina. She tries not to laugh at Sasuke while they were out in the desert. He'd asked her publicly if she wanted to train. It gave them an excuse to sneak off. He was currently applying suntan lotion. Lots of it. She didn't know why but for some reason, she found that downright hysterical.

"I suppose your skin really isn't suited to a desert climate." She says, biting her lower lip hard to keep from laughing.

"Not really. I'll adapt. It'll just take some time. It's like you and the Snow Country." He says with a smirk.

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?" She asks.

"Never." He admits and walks over, kissing her forehead.

"And what would you have come up with?" Gina asks.

"I would have knocked his ass out so hard, that he'd think he imagined it." Sasuke answers.

"And how would you have explained knocking him out?" She inquires.

"I'd think of something." The last Uchiha assures her.

"For a genius that was a sorry excuse for a plan." She states and couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

"Says the scarf woman." Sasuke counters.

"I had to come up with something!" She says, flailing, and Sasuke pounced.

"I know. I just like seeing your reaction." Sasuke tells her.

"Hmpf!" She grumbles.

"I got you something." He continues.

"You got me a present?" She asks, sounding shocked.

"I guess you could call it that. Naruto told me how much you love strawberries. But they cost too much to import to eat regularly." He states.

"That was surprisingly sweet of you." She says with a smile.

"Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to protect." The other ninja warns her.

"Of course. Sasuke?" She asks once they were eating the sensual treats.

"Yeah?" He replies.

"What…should we call each other? We aren't lovers. But boyfriend and girlfriend feels so…" She trails off.

"Lame." He supplies helpfully.

"Exactly, like something Genin or Academy students would say." She continues.

"We'll just say lovers. We will be soon enough." He tells her, causing the red head to choke on her strawberry.

"Didn't figure you for the shy type." He states in amusement.

"Your certainty borders on arrogance." She replies.

"Maybe, but it's still accurate." He says and kisses her heatedly, pushing her down onto the sand.

Gina had to admit privately, that he had a point. She'd never really given much thought to intimacy. But now that she knew what kissing and caressing felt like, she was curious. Still she shouldn't allow him to get a big head.

The red head kisses back and runs her fingers through his hair. She hears Sasuke groan into the kiss and then lightly bites his tongue as a stop gesture. Sasuke blinks, pulling away.

"You bit me!" He says.

"I nipped you. Besides, you bit me before." She says.

"Well yeah. Tease." Sasuke concedes.

"I can't have your ego getting any larger than it already is. Lest you no longer be able to fit through the door to my office." She taunts him.

"I might have deserved that one." He admits.

"There was no might involved." She informs him.

A few days pass. Gina worked with Iruka on the Academy changes. Normally, this work would have held her full attention. It was important to the future of her village and she genuinely was the type of ninja who preferred to be doing something productive. But it was very difficult to concentrate.

"You're becoming quite clever at making up excuses." She says with a smile leaning back against Sasuke, who had just walked into her office, placing a paper bag on her desk.

"Thanks." He whispers hotly into her ear and nips lightly, his hands sliding underneath the top of her robes to give her a shoulder rub and…when he thought he could get away with it a little lower.

"You have no idea how good that feels." She sighs in contentment and closes her eyes in bliss.

"Carrying that gourd on you all the time has to be murder on your back." Sasuke observes.

"I'm used to it. I didn't even notice any tension until you first gave me a massage." She admits.

"I thought I was tightly wound. But damn. I can feel how tightly coiled your muscles are and I'm barely touching you." He continues.

"Mmm at the rate you are going, one would think you were going to become a medic." She states in amusement.

"I don't have the patience. Besides, you are the only woman that I'm interested in giving a VERY thorough physical to." He says in that silky voice of his.

Gina had thought that Sasuke's voice was silky before they were together. But now…apparently there was a second voice. Temari might have referred to it as a Bedroom Voice, if she was aware of their relationship. Which she wasn't for the moment, a fact that Gina was very grateful for. Bedroom voice made the red head shiver and her body react in ways she barely understood.

"Good. I admit that I would…have a rather strong urge to Sand Coffin any other woman you gave that offer to." She says.

"I like it when you get jealous." Sasuke says.

He knew that it was probably wrong. But he found it erotic when she showed how possessive she could be. Did he think she would actually do it? That she would actually kill someone if he hit on them?

Probably not…she was as Kage. That wouldn't be easy to explain. Then again, she'd probably make sure there wasn't anything left to find. That's what he would do in that situation.

"Your Sharingan is on. You actually find that thought erotic?" She asks.

"How the Hell do you know my Sharingan is on? Your back is towards me." He questions.

"There's a slight change in your chakra pattern whenever you activate it." She answers.

"Oh. Never noticed." He says.

"It's very faint. I'm just…accustomed to you. So I notice changes." She answers.

"I think that might be the most romantic thing you've said to me so far." He taunts her.

"Don't get used to it." She says.

"That's alright. I prefer your whimpers anyway." He says and bites her neck, drawing one from her.

"Just don't tell anyone. It'd be bad for my reputation." She says mockingly.

"I won't." Sasuke promises.

"So what was your excuse for coming to my office today?" She asks.

"Told them that Temari mentioned you forgot to pack a lunch." Sasuke says.

' "I'm a bit concerned that my guards are actually buying all these excuses." She muses.

"Yeah. You should probably replace them. But…then the smarter ones would notice something was going on." He says.

"Tradeoffs." She agrees.

"Kankuro is coming." He says and pulls the collar of her robes up to hide the hickeys, moving to the other side of the office, and leaning against the wall.

"You are getting rather good at sensing my siblings' chakra." She muses.

"I have to. You are the one that came up with the three month rule. If they find out, there is no way it's staying a secret that long." He reasons.

"Good point." She concedes.

"Hey, Gina. Got Temari's transfer papers to release her to the Leaf. I still can't believe she's really moving. You know?" Kankuro asks, at first not noticing Sasuke.

"I know. I have the same feeling." She says and takes the papers, signing them quickly.

"Well she's happy. That's what matters. Uchiha? What are you doing in here?" Kankuro asks.

"She forgot her lunch." He says with a shrug.

"And you are what, watching her eat it?" He questions and raises an eyebrow.

"She has a habit of forgetting to eat, if someone doesn't remind her. She's rather…dedicated to her job." Sasuke states.

"Yeah. Usually I remind her. That's…surprisingly considerate of you. Anyway, you're heading back to the Leaf tomorrow, right? Would you mind giving Temari these papers?" He inquires.

"Sure. No problem." He answers.

Kankuro knew something was up. Something had to be. The Uchiha was agreeing to help him without making a smart mouthed comment. He was watching Gina eat, for God knows what reason. He doubted it was actually because he was worried she'd neglect her body's need for food.

He was in her office, almost every day for some minor reason or another. Yeah, something was going on. He didn't know what it was. But he'd figure it out eventually.

"Gina, where did your cactus plant go?" Kankuro asks conversationally.

"I got rid of it. It was becoming a concern. My visitors were worried they'd accidentally get pricked." She answers smoothly.

It was true. It was a concern. She just didn't feel the need to mention that she and Sasuke were the ones who were worried they'd get pricked. They tended to not be as aware of their surroundings when "making out." as Temari would have called it.

"Oh. Probably a good call. Well I'll let you get back to lunch." He says and Sasuke follows him, knowing if he didn't…it would look suspicious.

Later that night, they go to their training spot. She liked training with him at night. The red head enjoyed stargazing.

They did actually train. That was just who they were. Their training would have sent most people to the hospital, but to them it was fairly easy going. Still after every session they were bruised and battered.

"Sorry about that one." He says, kissing the mark from the Chunin Exams where he got her with the Chidori.

"It's alright. I like my scar. It reminds me of you." She says and kisses his cheek.

"Then I'm not sorry about it." He states.

"How soon do you think you can get back here?" She asks.

"You miss me already?" He asks with a smirk.

"Well more like I'm going to miss my shoulder rubs. But I suppose you could say that." She states in a sassy fashion.

"Don't know. Depends what sorts of missions he has. Thankfully, it's Naruto. He's completely oblivious. We can probably get through the whole three months without him wondering why I want to go to the Sand so much." He states smugly.

"Cruel, but accurate." She admits.

Sasuke nods his head and wraps his arms around the red head. Neither of them were particularly talkative. So most the time they expressed their affection in other ways. Kissing, caressing, biting, or even…cuddling. (Though both of them would die before admitting that publicly.)

"I'll miss you too." He says.

They were both damaged, he knew that. But somehow it worked. He didn't have to hold back with her. Well alright, he did a little bit. It wasn't like he was going to start unleashing Amaterasu, Susanoo, or use the Rinnegan against her. But other than that, she could take whatever he could dish out.

"Good." She states and lays her head on his chest.

Likewise, Gina had to control her sand's natural reactions. Which seemed…split when it came to Sasuke. Half the time her sand wanted to strangle him and the other half it seemed rather intent on frisking him. Sometimes both it tried to do both at once.

"Still can't believe your sand tried to do THAT." Sasuke states in amusement.

"I apologized for that." She says and he could see her blushing.

"You don't have to apologize. It would have been worth…investigating in private. But we were in public." He states.

"Not really. My sand was considerate enough to shove you into an alley way out of everyone else's view." She defends herself.

"And then it frisked me and tried to give me a sand job." He states.

"…I said I was sorry!" She blushes and buries her face further into his chest to hide her blush.

"I liked it that you couldn't control yourself. So you don't have to apologize for that one. I should probably go. I have to pack and it's an early start tomorrow." He says, gently sliding her off him, and getting up.

"You should." She says.

"I'll be back. Like I said, he's oblivious." He promises and heads off.

Little did either of them realize they were being watched. The Coyote and Cat ANBU looked at each other. Based off what they just saw, oh yeah he'd fall for it. This was going to be a lot easier than they thought.


	11. Chapter 11

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews you guys. This is a bit of a transition chapter. They are together, but haven't announced it publicly yet. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy.

Chapter Notation: Yeah, secrets don't last very long XD. I had a hard time choosing their nicknames for each other in the letters. So I went with something silly.

Chapter 11

 _She missed him._ It was a week after Sasuke had left to return to the Leaf and Gina was going crazy. To add insult to injury, she wasn't allowed to show it or talk about it because of her own stupid suggestion.

Three months?! It hadn't even been three days before she had considered coming up an excuse to go to the Leaf. Any excuse. She managed to fight back the impulse though and was now suffering through Day Seven.

"Lady Kazekage?" Baki asks.

Baki had been her former Sensei. That hadn't been an easy job to put it mildly. When he first took control of the Sand Siblings training, she had been homicidal. The red head had nearly killed him countless times. But he had still trained them to the best of his ability, despite the considerable risks involved in training someone like her.

Now his former student was his superior and he handled that with such grace. She knew that her age had been an issue for many of her villagers and other ninjas. It was almost unheard of for a Kage to be so _young._ Baki though had always treated her as an adult. So she felt some measure of gratefulness towards him.

"Yes, Baki?" She asks.

"You are behaving unusually. That is the third time that I had to call out to you to get your attention." He states.

Damn. Had she really lost her focus that long? This was becoming a problem. She needed to come up with a suitable excuse.

"I apologize. I neglected to have lunch today and it has made me less attentive than I should be." She lies smoothly.

"That is the fourth time this week that you have told me that. Lady Kazekage, if you don't mind me saying so…you should take better care of yourself. The village depends on you." He chides her gently.

"I know. I will try to be more attentive. What were you saying?" She asks.

"Mei and Tsunade want to know if you wanted to go on that female Kage retreat with them." He repeats.

"They are serious about that?" She asks in amusement.

"Something about female empowerment and if you are all seen socializing it will be a powerful show of solidarity." He elaborates in a voice that told Gina that he thought the entire thing was a load of nonsense.

"Well…it is nice that they thought of me. I suppose I should go. It would be seen as a slight if I didn't." She murmurs.

"Most likely. Very well. I shall let them know that you agree." He says.

"Thank you. Was that all?" She asks.

"Yes, that's all. But My Lady, please do look after yourself more." He pleads.

"I will." She promises and watches as he walks off.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, Sasuke was equally frustrated. No more kisses, no more spinning chairs, and no more being frisked by sand. At the very least, he could still get a decent training session in thanks to Naruto.

It lacked the appeal that training with the red head did. He definitely was NOT going to enjoy a nice makeout session after training with the loudmouthed blonde. Naruto was his best friend. But that kiss at the Academy was an ACCIDENT. It was not an experience that he was eager to repeat.

"Bastard, that's the second hit that I got in that I know you should have been able to dodge. You aren't taking this seriously! I know that we aren't using lethal attacks, but that's no reason to half ass it!" Naruto growls at him.

"Eh. You hit like a Genin anyway." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"What was that bastard?!" The blonde demands.

"Sakura can hit harder than that." He goads him.

"Oh that's it! RASENGAN!" Naruto says and charges at Sasuke.

Sasuke smirks. This was what he needed. A good fight would make the time go by faster. There were very few people that he could truly fight without holding back. Actually, Naruto was probably the only person he could fight to his fullest potential with. But Naruto didn't offer the same perks that training with Gina did. There would be no kissing and making up afterwards. Tradeoffs.

An hour later, both men were bruised and battered. Sasuke was sure they each had at least a couple broken bones. Even when they held back, such injuries were normal. Thankfully, Karin had taken to watching them train and didn't seem to mind patching them up.

"Thanks, Karin." Naruto says with a smile and bites on her shoulder.

Sasuke glides over. He bites down and wishes it was another red head. Gina though, as sexy as her whimpers might be…biting her didn't end up healing broken bones.

Elsewhere the Cat and Coyote were looking at some stolen documents. They weren't exciting. Just some standard things. Mostly missions that Gina had signed off on. They had to get a feel for her handwriting after all.

"She does have a rather distinctive curve to her G that will be hard to copy. Bitch was probably taking counter measures against forgeries." The cat says sighing.

"Doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be believable. Should we say she's pregnant? That would certainly get his attention. " The Coyote suggests.

"The Uchiha wouldn't believe it. It's rather clear they are keeping their relationship a secret. If they are being intimate, they'd be using The Jutsu or some sort of contraception." The cat says and shakes his head like, _I'm working with an idiot._

"Good point. We could say that someone found out about their little midnight rendezvous." The Coyote tries again.

"Plausible. Though she wouldn't be so blunt in a communication that she might worry could be intercepted. This would be easier if we knew if they had a code." The Cat grumbles.

"They'd only been together presumably for a short time. I highly doubt they have a code for love letters." The other ANBU states.

"I don't know. They are both rather private individuals and intelligent enough to come up with something fast." The Cat counters.

"We can just keep it vague and say it's something important." The Coyote suggests.

"That will have to do. Unfortunately, the Kazekage isn't as public with her eccentricities as the other Kages. It's hard to tell what would be a signature for her." His partner sighs.

"Yeah. How's this look?" The canine ANBU asks.

"I see no noticeable difference. Besides, they way they go he's more likely to recognize her punch than her signature." The feline states with amusement.

"Yeah. Strange relationship." The other man comments.

"Indeed. But they are strange people." The cat agrees.

Elsewhere Temari and Shikamaru had finished their honeymoon. The feisty blonde was now a Leaf Villager. She watches in amusement as Shikamaru tries to carry her stuff into their new home.

"What a drag! I thought you were moving in with me, not the entire Sand Village." He groans.

"That's not that much. You big baby." She says.

"How many shoes do you need?!" The Shadow User inquires.

"A girl can never have enough shoes." The Wind Sorceress tells him with a sly smile.

"That's got to be close to a hundred pairs. When do you even wear all of these?" He demands.

"Some of them are collectibles. You'd be amazed at how much you can sell them for after a couple years." His wife answers him.

"So it's for monetary gain?" Shikamaru asks and cocks his head to the side curiously, as if considering this.

"Partially. That and I just like shoes." She replies.

"Maybe you should lend a pair of the stilettos to Gina." He suggests and tries not to snicker.

"Oh she HATES high heels. She'd never wear them. Besides those are _I'm Getting Lucky shoes."_ She says sagely.

"Exactly." He tells her.

"I feel like I missed something?" The blonde asks her husband.

"Maybe. I'm not sure. It's a drag." He responds in an annoyingly cryptic fashion.

"I want to know!" Temari tells him.

"I might have given Sasuke a push. Don't know if he'll actually act on it though or if she'll go for it. But I was tired of them dancing around each other." He states with a yawn.

"You what?! Well sounds like you had more luck with him than I had with her." She grumbles.

"We'll see. They are both really stubborn." He says.

"That's true. Well I'll send her a pair just in case. Do you think that would actually work for him?" She asks curiously.

"Well I know it works for me. We have similar tastes in most respects. So I don't see why it wouldn't work for him." He muses.

Meanwhile Gina finishes packing and heads off to meet with Tsunade and Mei. She still thought this was a stupid idea. Pft. Female empowerment her ass. It was just an excuse to go to the spa. Let's call it what it was.

"It's good to see you." Mei says, smiling at her.

"And you as well." Gina returns the smile.

"We already booked three massage slots." Tsunade tells her.

"Oh great." Gina says with a sigh in relief. She really missed her massages.

The three of them walk into the massage parlor. The three women get put on tables next to each other, so they could still converse. But she noted there was a curtain pulled around them, to give them some illusion of privacy. Fuck that. She casts a soundproofing jutsu just to be on the safe side.

"Someone's a little paranoid." Mei comments in amusement.

"I'd rather not have anything I say, spread throughout the Five Nations. Never underestimate the power of the Rumor Mill." She mutters.

"She does have a point." Tsunade agrees.

"Like that rumor you and Jirayia were lovers. Was there any merit to that, Tsunade? Was there a reason you are called the _Legendary Sucker?"_ Mei asks slyly.

Gina couldn't help but snicker. Tsunade raises an eyebrow. It seemed the red head understood the innuendo.

"We were never lovers. There were times we could have been. But he was a free spirit. He could never stay in one village for too long and I was recovering from Dan. And, no that is JUST a reference to my gambling habit." She says, glowering at Mei for asking and Gina for snickering.

"Shame. Girl has to have some fun. An important lesson Gina, men are much more compliant if you reward them for good behavior." She states.

"Mei!" Tsunade says and rolls her eyes.

"I'm just saying. It's that or food." She states.

"Says the woman who is still unmarried." Tsunade taunts her.

"You never married either!" She protests.

"I could have, if I had wanted to." The blonde says.

Gina shakes her head. She looks back and notices that the massage therapists were heading in. She feels the oil being applied to her back.

Hmm a woman's hands, if the size of the hands was any indication. Then again, it could be a man with small hands? Still it felt nice but nowhere near as good as his hands. Oh well. She closes her eyes and decides to enjoy it.

"Ah nothing like a good massage." Mei says.

"A little lower." Tsunade mutters.

It was relaxing. The massage and listening to the other women bicker. Thankfully, their attention was more on each other for the most part. Which meant Gina was free to let her mind wander.

"You could have had a lot of fun. Being a Kage means an office and a desk." Mei offers to Tsunade.

"Mei, that is highly unprofessional. Besides, the papers would go everywhere." She replies.

"I recommend the spinning chair." Gina mutters, too lost in her daydream and current state of contentment to realize she probably shouldn't have said that.

"Ah ha! See that's more like it. Finally, someone with some imagination!" Mei says.

Tsunade just shakes her head at Mei's antics. She'd let Gina think she hadn't heard that for now. Later that night though, she goes to Gina's room and knocks.

"Come on. It's open." She says, recognizing Tsunade's chakra.

"Spinning chair?" She asks in amusement.

"It was nothing. Just a suggestion." The red head says and mentally panics while outwardly maintaining he composure.

"And those hickeys on your neck, were those a suggestion as well?" She asks.

"Dammit!" She mutters.

Tsunade was a medic. She wasn't going to believe the scarf excuse. She was also a former Kage. She wasn't going to be knocked out easy either.

"That would seem a little possessive to be from Shibuki. It's really not his style. He strikes me as more of a gentle lover. " She states.

"It wasn't Shibuki." Gina says.

"I figured as much. How old are the marks?" She questions.

"About a week." The red head admits, figuring well since she already knew anyway.

"A week?! He'd have to rather…vigorous for the love bites to still be visible after that long. Those have to be bite marks. Hard ones." She states.

"He doesn't bite that hard, just repeatedly. Actually, Id' rather not discuss this further." The Kazekage says.

"Normally, I wouldn't pry. It's none of my business." The blonde says.

"You're right. It is NONE of your business." The red head snaps.

"But you are a Kage and as such your choice of lover can have national or even international security implications. At the very least he could be a target for attempted kidnappings and even assassination." She warns her.

"I pity the idiot who would even try it." Gina mutters.

"So it's Sasuke then." She says.

"I did NOT say that." The younger woman protests.

"Bites often enough to leave marks and apparently would be assassins should be afraid of him, sounds like Sasuke." She says.

Fuck. She'd been caught red handed, or rather red necked. Dammit. Dammit! This was supposed to be a secret.

"The fact that you haven't made this public means that it's new or you are smart enough to realize the potential implications and decided to keep it secret." She continues.

"Both." Gina admits.

"Gina, people still fear him and for good reason. You are a Kage. Do you realize the amount of panic it would cause if it was known you two were involved?" She asks.

"I know. That's why we decided to keep it secret until we knew if this was what we wanted. That it wasn't just a passing fascination." She replies.

"Well I guess that's something. But you can't possibly be serious." Tsunade states.

"I know it isn't very…logical. But he makes me feel alive in a way no one else does. I finally understand Temari, a little bit better now." She says.

"That's very romantic Gina. Truly, I'm happy that you have found out you are capable of such feelings. They are wonderful feelings at times. But you have to be smart about this." The other woman argues.

"You don't get to lecture me on relationships. I am not a child. You have no authority over me. I'm not a Leaf Villager. So don't you dare try to order me around as if we are not equals!" Gina snaps at her.

"I am not trying to order you. I'm trying to reason with you." She says.

"I'd rather be unreasonable and have him, than reasonable and not." The red head says and the sand shoves Tsunade out of her room and she locks the door.

Tsunade curses under her breath. That had not gone well. She really only wanted to prevent a disaster. She hadn't meant to hurt the red head's feelings. Clearly she thought that the older woman was trying to pull rank. That hadn't been her intention at all. Dammit!

She bites her lower lip. She had to contact Sasuke. Gina wasn't positive the former Hokage would keep their secret. The red head needed to give him a heads up.

She goes and gets a messenger hawk. The red head debates about what to write. It could be intercepted. It had to be vague, but understandable to him. Finally, she settles on the following and sends the hawk off.

 _ **Dear Vamp,**_

 _ **The Gambler knows about us. What do you want to do?**_

 **Awaiting your answer, Strawberry.**

He liked to bite her, so vampire seemed fitting. But vampire was too odd not to get noticed. Vamp could stand for almost anything really. Clearly Gambler referred to Tsunade. He'd gotten her strawberries once. That should remind him of her. She hoped.

Back in the Leaf, Sasuke had just gotten home. He blinks when he sees a messenger hawk. The spa had been fairly close to the Leaf so it had arrives swiftly.

He gives the hawk a bit of food and reads the letter. Sasuke blinks. Damn. What the Hell was he supposed to say?

"Well it was going to happen eventually." He mutters and pens a response.

It didn't matter to him. He actually preferred it out in the open. That would let Shibuki know to back the fuck off. Sasuke wouldn't have to put up with his own admirers and he could possibly get away with some PDA. He wasn't really sure what the red head's views on the last part were. But he could always ask.

 **Dear Strawberry,**

 **Let her roll the dice. I like our odds.**

 **Not worried, Vamp.**

He did find it a bit amusing that she had nicknamed him vamp. Probably because she liked being bitten so much. Strawberry was pretty self explanatory between her red head and the fact he'd gotten them for her once. He sends the hawk off.

It didn't take long for him to get another letter. This one asked him to come to the Sand. It seemed Gina felt more comfortable making the announcement in her village. Sasuke couldn't blame her. The people of the Sand were less…nosey than the people of his own village.

"Mei?" Gina says, knocking on her door back at the Spa.

"Come in." She hears her say.

The Kazekage walks inside. She figured she should at least tell Mei that she was heading home. Mei could tell Tsunade. The red head didn't trust herself not to attack Tsunade if she tried to speak to her again at this point.

"I am heading home early. There's a bit of an emergency my village. Thought I should let you know. " She says.

"Oh. I hope it isn't anything too serious." She mutters.

"I'm not entirely sure. But I figure it is best to deal with the situation directly." The younger woman informs her.

"Of course. Good luck. I'll let Tsunade know, if you haven't already." She replies.

"Thank you. You are a good friend." She says and quickly sets off for the Sand Village.

It didn't take long for Gina to return to the Sand. She heads to her office. She was sure that Sasuke would show up there first. The flustered woman was shocked when he was already there.

"How did you get here before me?" She asks in disbelief.

"I'm faster than you. Besides, I've traveled extensively. I know shortcuts." He answers.

"Oh." She says and eeps when he pushes her against the wall.

"In a way, I'm glad that she found out. I couldn't come up with an excuse to get back to the Sand quickly. It wouldn't have been a fun three months. Besides, this way…we don't have to come up with excuses for why I'm in your office." He says and kisses her.

Before she could respond to any of that, he kissed her. Well that was better than talking. She returns his kiss eagerly.

The red head wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell him how much she missed him with her words. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she COULD convey it with words. Kissing was a much more effective form of communication.

It probably wasn't healthy, he mused. Sasuke had tried to avoid attachments since he was seven. Yet, here he was getting attached to someone from another village. Very attached.

It felt good to be able to touch her again. It took all his control not to see if she'd be willing to test out how strong her desk was. But he manages to pull away.

"How do you want to…let them know?" He asks.

"I figured the direct approach would be best. Announce it in the village square. Short and sweet and then we get the Hell out of there while they are in shock." She replies.

"Drop the bomb and run for cover?" He asks in amusement.

"Exactly." She agrees and turns on her intercom in her office.

It was special. It would blare whatever she said throughout the village. Biting her lower lip, she takes a deep breath and says the following.

"Those who are able to, please report to the Village Square immediately. I have an important announcement to make one hour from now." She says and turns it off.

"You weren't kidding when you said the direct approach." He says and takes her hand, walking outside with her.

"Sometimes it's the best one." She says.

"Hopefully, this is one of those times." He murmurs.

"Hopefully." She says, gets behind the podium, and notes that some people were already beginning to gather in the Village Square.

Well here went nothing. She wasn't entirely sure how they would react to the news. Positive, negative, or shock. It might be a mix of all three. But she had to do it.

She could feel the seconds ticking by slowly as she prepares to make the biggest announcement of her life. The only thing that made it tolerable was the sight of Sasuke's ruby red eyes in the crowd, tell her silently that it was going to be okay.


	12. Chapter 12

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. For those who are interested, I just put up a poll in my profile. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. Oh and please feel free to let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in this story going forward ^^.

Chapter 12

The hour eventually passes. Gina takes a deep breath. Most of the village was looking at her expectantly. At the moment, she would have rather faced Madara than deal with the fallout that was sure to result from this announcement.

"Thank you all for coming so swiftly. Let me assure you all that the village is not in danger and our allies aren't under attack, before I begin." She says.

There were some sighs of relief. But the red head could tell they were wondering what else could have prompted her to call a village meeting.

"I'm very grateful to the members of Team Seven from the Leaf Village. Naruto taught me the value of friendship. Sakura's medical skills helped to save my life. And to Sasuke for making me feel alive. That's what I wanted to tell all of you. I have no desire to keep my relationship with him a secret. You all deserve to know that we are together now." She says and Sasuke instantly appears in a swirl of flame at her side.

"Should we run now?" Sasuke whispers in her ear.

"Yes, yes we should. Can you teleport more than just yourself?" She asks.

"Yes." He answers simply, scooping her up Bridal Style, and they teleport off.

"How are they taking it?" She asks once they were in her office.

Sasuke looks out the window. So far…everyone was standing frozen in shock. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Stunned silence." He answers.

"I guess that is the best we can hope for at the moment. I half expected rioting to be honest." She admits.

He sits on the desk and pulls her into his lap. Idly, he wonders if maybe they should barricade the door. Sasuke shakes his head. He was being ridiculous. It wasn't like they were going to turn into an angry mob, right?

"I love you. Whatever happens after this, I want you to know that. Just in case they decide to murder us with pitchforks and tomatoes." He says.

"You love me?" She asks.

He nods. Sasuke didn't expect her to say it back. He knew that Gina was attracted to him. She definitely cared about him. Otherwise she wouldn't risk her reputation to tell her village about their reputation.

Love was different though. He wasn't sure if she was there yet. He wasn't going to push the issue. Speaking of pushing, someone had pushed her office door down.

"Gina! Are you out of your mind?!" Kankuro yells at her.

"Thank you, brother. I appreciate your support." She says sarcastically.

"How are they taking it?" Sasuke asks.

"I swear Uchiha if you have done some kind of Genjutsu or fucked with her head in any way to make her say that, I will kill you." Kankuro states.

"Kankuro, I am not under the influence of any jutsu. I'm with him because I WANT to be. I do not appreciate the implication that I am easily tricked." Gina informs him.

"I can't believe you just told them that and left!" Her brother says.

"Well I wasn't sure what else to do. They could have started rioting." She argues.

"Gina, get out there right now! They are your people and they want answers. You can't just drop a bombshell like that on them and then run off." He exclaims.

"I guess he does have a point." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"You're right, brother." She says with a sigh and hops off her desk.

"I'll go with you." Sasuke says and laces his hand with hers, causing the red head to smile.

Kankuro blinks. He'd almost seen her smile like that before. She'd achieved a certain level of peace after the demon was removed and she became Kazekage. She had a purpose now. But he could scarcely count on both hands the number of times he'd seen her truly happy before. This was real, at least it was from Gina's perspective. The Uchiha, well he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him.

"The Lady Kazekage is back." One of the villagers in the stunned crowd calls out.

Roars of chatter erupted from the crowd. Gina winced. Her village tended to be quieter than the Leaf. But this was big news. It wasn't everyday a Kage took a companion and especially not one with Sasuke's background.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like they can impeach you for having a lover." He whispers into her ear, as he wraps his arms around her reassuringly.

Gina smiles and leans back against him. For a moment, she forgot that the crowd was there. There really wasn't anything like being held by him. She felt safer in his arms than she did inside her Sand Dome.

"LADY KAZEKAGE? What is going on?!" One of the villagers demands and breaks her out of the spell.

"Exactly what she said. We are together. Your Kage respects you enough not to hide that fact from you." Sasuke says and rests his head on top of the Kazekage's.

"My Lady, with all due respect are you out of your mind?" Yet another asks.

"I don't know. I think it's kinda romantic really. The whole star-crossed lovers thing." An elderly woman says.

"This ain't no fairytale. That man fought against Madara and lived! He's dangerous." The first says.

"Oh pipe down. Trust our Lady Kazekage's judgment. She's never led us astray before." A middle aged man says.

"This might lead to a brawl." Gina murmurs lowly enough so only Sasuke could hear it.

"Well at least we have some supporters." He says.

"True. I guess I should probably break it up before blood is spilt." She replies with a sigh.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Sasuke snarls and there was suddenly dead silence.

"You have to teach me how to do that." Gina murmurs to him.

"You are either born with a snarl or you aren't." He replies smugly.

"Thank you. As I was saying, Sasuke and I are together. I did not wish to keep this a secret from any of you. I understand that some of you may have concerns. But I feel that my personal life has no impact on how I perform my Kage duties. So while I understand that there will be some who oppose our relationship, we are not leaving each other…unless WE decide to do so. I hope that you can respect our decision." She finishes.

"Lady Kazekage! Can we have an interview now, that you guys are official?" One of the Academy students who had interviewed her earlier asks.

Gina rubs the back of her head sheepishly. She looks at Sasuke. Sasuke shrugs and nods his head.

"You brats! The Lady Kazekage doesn't have time to give an interview to the Academy newspaper. This is serious business!" One of the Sand Villagers says.

Sasuke shakes his head. He flits behind the one who said that and presses his sword to his neck. Sometimes you just had to establish dominance.

"If the Lady Kazekage wants to give an interview to them, it's none of your concern." He tells him.

"Lady Kazekage, help! Your demon is trying to kill me!" He states.

"If Sasuke wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. Sasuke, please play nicely with my villagers." Gina says with a sigh.

"This is playing nicely. He should learn to be nicer to kids." He says with a shrug and sheathes his sword, before walking over to join Gina.

The Sand Villagers seem to realize that Gina wasn't going to answer any further questions. The fact that Sasuke had drawn his sword briefly, made them rather wary of pushing the issue further for now. Who knew what he was capable of? So they all start chattering amongst themselves. Gina heard bits and pieces of it.

 _"Has our Lady Kazekage lost her mind?" A middle aged man asks._

 _"He is quite handsome. I could see why she'd fall for him." A woman in her 20's said._

 _"Handsome or not, he attacked the Kage Summit! He can't be trusted!" The middle aged man argues._

 _"The Uchiha was holding her rather tenderly. I think the feelings might be genuine." An elderly man chimes in._

 _"That could be faked!" The middle aged man protests._

 _"I wonder how large his other sword is." A teenager asked, giggling._

 _"MINA! BAD GIRL!" Her mother chides her._

 _"You were all thinking it…" She mumbles and blushes hotly._

 _"Maybe he is seducing her because she's a Kage. If he were to marry her or she were to carry his child, that would grant him a lot of political power." Another woman suggests._

 _"I don't think the Lady Kazekage is that easily fooled." A boy says, defending his Lady Kazekage! (She had helped to lead the Allied Forces during the war, she was smart!)_

"Great! Oh this is going to be amazing! Our classmates are going to be so jealous that we got this exclusive scoop!" Kara says.

Gina idly wondered if all kids were this hyper. She dismisses the thought. She and Sasuke hadn't been hyper. Though Naruto definitely had been. Oh well. She figured she'd give them the interview. At least this way, they could control the message.

"Let's start with something easy, how long have you been together?" One of the boys asks and Gina was fairly certain his name was Tao.

"A little over a two weeks, if you include the week we were separated." Sasuke answers.

"Wow, so it's really new then!" Kara comments.

"When did you first realize that you liked each other?" The camera boy, Kenji, asks.

"Subconsciously, at our Chunin Exams. Consciously, when he kissed me." She answers.

"Subconsciously during our rematch. Consciously, I can't say because I'd get slapped." Sasuke replies.

"I wouldn't slap you. Well not outside of training, anyway." She quickly amends in the interest of accuracy.

"Yes, you would. Consciously, when I saw her in her lingerie." He finishes.

SLAP. Yes, the sand slapped him on the cheek for that one. Sasuke gives her a look like, _I told you so._

"I can't believe you said that in front of children!" She says.

"You said you wouldn't slap me. I tried to warn you. It's not my fault you didn't listen." He says with a smirk and rubs his cheek.

"Don't add that last part!" Gina tells them.

"Yes, Lady Kazekage. Is he a good kisser? You said that's when you realized you liked him." Kara says.

"I don't think that the ninja world needs to know about his kissing capabilities." She mutters.

"Now you're shy? After you just told your whole village that you are mine?" Sasuke asks, brushes her hair off the side, and places a kiss along the back of her neck.

"B-ad and I did not say that I was yours. I said we were in a relationship. You do not own me." She says and squirms.

"Oh really? Your words say that I don't, your body says otherwise. You're mine and I belong to you. It's perfectly fair." He tells her.

"Can we put that quote in the paper?" Kara asks hopefully.

"NO!" They both snap at the same time.

"Awe." She pouts but nods.

"But you live so far apart. Is our Lady Kazekage going to move to the Leaf, Sasuke moving to the Sand, or are you going to be long distance lovers?" Kenji asks.

"You're twelve. The word lovers should not be in your vocabulary." Gina says and blinks.

"Kids grow up fast these days. It's going to be a long distance relationship, for now anyway." Sasuke says.

"Did you tell anyone about this before you told the Sand Village?" Tao asks curiously.

"Tsunade was aware. We decided to reveal the nature of our relationship before she could act on that knowledge though." Gina admits.

"The former Hokage of the Leaf Village?" Kara asks.

Gina nods. She was pleased to see that the Academy was apparently thorough enough that they were aware of who the Hokages were. Well at least the one who came before Naruto. That was a good sign really.

About a half hour later, the kids were apparently satisfied with their interview. They headed off. Gina shakes her head, they must have asked a hundred questions. Half of which was entirely inappropriate and she was more than a little disturbed they even knew about such topics to begin with.

"It's really not that surprising. I mean everyone took sex ed at the Academy." Sasuke says.

"…" Gina was speechless.

"Or not." He says and blinks.

"The parents of the other children didn't want me in the Academy." She mutters.

"Ohhh. So wait do you…?" He trails off.

"Uchiha, I am NOT stupid. I am perfectly aware of the basics of such things. Besides, I walked in on Temari and Shikamaru once or twice. I'm STILL traumatized from that." She mutters.

"I never said you were stupid. Really? I can only imagine if I walked in on Itachi like that." He shudders.

"Yes, I had no desire to see my sister in such a…compromising position. But she and Shikamaru was rather…affectionate with each other." She says.

"At the rate they are going, sounds like you'll be an aunt soon." He muses.

"It's possible." Gina acknowledges.

"And speaking of the basics, don't worry you'll be advanced soon enough." He promises her and bites her neck lightly.

"Nhh. C-ocky bastard." She moans quietly.

"Maybe a little." He admits with a smirk.

"You should probably return to the Leaf. I imagine the news is going to spread like wildfire. And I have to deal with the fallout here." She says.

"You're right. I'll see you soon. Oh and you might want to get a stronger desk." He says with a smirk as he kisses her good bye.

"I guess Kakashi must have influenced you more than I thought." She says after returning his kiss.

"Not really. I'm just saying your office has a lot of possibilities." He says and heads off, getting swatted by the sand as he does so.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do with him." She says and shakes her head with a smile.

It didn't take long for the Academy students to publish their article and for word to spread. Soon enough it was the talk of the Five Nations. Apparently ninjas loved to gossip as much as anyone else. Eventually, it reaches the Leaf.

"I guess they are together now." Naruto blinks and says to Karin.

"Looks like it, according to this article. I can't believe Sasuke actually consented to an interview like that." Karin marvels.

"Well he probably figured it'd be good for his image to humor some Academy kids." The blonde offers.

"Yeah. Maybe that's it." She says.

"I'm so going to beat him up for not telling me first." He grumbles.

Karin just shakes her head and smiles. That was just how the two expressed their affection for one another. If Sasuke and Naruto didn't try to punch the each other at least once a day, well she knew something was very wrong. She had long ago stopped being concerned about their rather vigorous play fights.

Three days later, Sasuke walks into the Leaf Village. He gets tackled by a blonde blur. It was unsurprisingly, Naruto.

"YOU BASTARD! I had to find out that my best friend had a girlfriend from an Academy Newspaper!" Naruto growls at him.

"Loser, shut it." Sasuke says.

"I won't. You are such a bastard! You really are." He glowers.

"Yeah. I know. Whatever. You've been saying that since we were 12. Do you think it bothers me anymore?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Hmpf!" Naruto says.

"Besides, don't think I don't know about you and Karin. You never told me about her either." He counters.

"THAT'S DIFFERENT!" His blue eyed best friend protests.

"Not really. Anyway, I'm tired. It was a long trip. I'm going to get some sleep." Sasuke says and heads towards his district.

Back in the Sand, Gina winces. She had received a letter from her sister. This was not going to be pleasant.

 _ **Dear Gina,**_

 _ **AH HA! I knew you were protesting too much. I saw that article! Anyway, I'm going to head to the Sand. I think it's important that you know how to handle him.**_

 _ **Oh and Shikamaru suggested, I give you a pair of stilettos to wear for him. Some men like it when their woman wears high heels while in the heat of passion. I'm not exactly sure why. But trust me, it works.**_

 _ **Love, Temari.**_

"Sometimes I wonder which deity despises me." Gina mutters under her breath.

How was she going to deal with this? Temari would have all sorts of ideas in her head. Her sister was a Nympho. Gina knew this and she really did not want to have to sit through the blonde's "helpful suggestions."

She didn't them anyway! Sasuke clearly enjoyed her kisses and touch. Their relationship was still relatively innocent. She was curious about what would happen when it stopped being so, but she didn't want to sound desperate. So she didn't push the issue.

"I can't believe she sent you shoes like that!" Kankuro says, having just walked into her office.

"It's Temari. As Naruto used to say, believe it." Gina says.

"And I really don't understand you being with him. But if he makes you happy…" He trails off.

"He does." She says.

"It would have been better if you had chosen someone who wasn't borderline psychotic." Kankuro says.

"He's not psychotic. He had reasons for everything he did. It wasn't as if he woke up one day and randomly decided to attack the Kage Summit." She points out.

"He's still dangerous, Gina. Sasuke could hurt you. Besides, do you even understand what being with him means? He's going to want kids. Probably lots of them. Do you honestly think you are ready for that?" He asks.

"Kankuro, we haven't even been involved for a month. I doubt he's thinking about fatherhood." She states in an irritated voice.

"The guy has had two goals since he was like seven. He's going to press the issue sooner or later." He reasons.

"He probably will." She says and bites her lower lip.

It was a major concern of hers. She had voiced it to him once. The red head honestly couldn't picture herself with a child in her arms. Babies were so fragile. Gina was not good with fragile.

She remembered an incident when she was young. She was trying to play with another child. Her sand had gotten carried away and hurt them. She hadn't meant to do it!

Gina had even brought medicine to the kid's house. The red head had wanted to apologize. The child's parents yelled at her and slammed the door in her face, calling her a demon. Everything she touched, got broken. She didn't understand why and it hurt.

"See? I know you like him. I don't know WHY you like him, but I know you do. But it won't go anywhere if you aren't willing to have kids. That's too important to him to give up. And you, well I mean it'd be one thing if you want kids. But you don't. It's going to lead to fights. I just don't want you to get hurt." He says softly.

"It's not that I dislike children…" She mumbles.

"I know you don't." He says.

"I just…don't want to hurt them on accident. My sand acts as a reflex sometimes." She mutters.

"Exactly. Gina, will you please just listen to me and end this before either of you gets seriously hurt?" Kankuro pleads with his sister.

She knew that what he was saying was logical. Gina had thought the same thing to herself, more than once. But she couldn't. The red head just couldn't imagine her life without him anymore.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She says.

Meanwhile Sasuke gets home and notices there was a letter in his mailbox. He takes it out and reads it. The last Uchiha tilts his head, what was going on?

 _ **Dear Sasuke,**_

 _ **I need to see you as soon as possible. Meet me in the Land of Tea.**_

 _ **Gina.**_

That was odd. He'd just left a few days ago. It must have been something important. Why would she want him to go to the Land of Tea? Frowning, he decides he didn't like it.

He finds some paper. Sasuke quickly writes a response. He sends it off with his messenger hawk.

 _ **Dear Gina,**_

 _ **What's wrong? Your letter was concerning.**_

 _ **Sasuke.**_

It was concerning. It was so…abrupt. So generic. It hadn't used their nicknames for each other. Though now that the entire village world knew they were together, maybe she just hadn't felt he need. Still he couldn't burry his feeling of unease. Something was up.


	13. Chapter 13

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry about the lag between chapters. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one. ^^ Reviews are always appreciated.

Chapter 13

"Temari, let go of me right now." Gina growls at her elder, meddling sister warningly.

"I'm just trying to help you. As your big sister, it is my duty to make sure that you have everything you need to be happy." She says with an absolutely predatory smirk that despite their power difference, made Gina shiver with dread.

The red head sighs as she is dragged into Suna's Secret. It was probably the worst kept secret ever that most ninjas were…rather intrigued by all things carnal in nature. Look at Jirayia and Kakashi, two extremely powerful ninjas. Neither of them had been exactly bashful about expressing their love for the sensual side of life.

Most Leaf Villagers liked to pretend to be innocent. Which was why it was always amusing when a handful of Leaf Villagers didn't. The Sand though, well they were more open about sexuality.

They were by no means the Sound. Sound Ninjas were by far the most open about their sexuality and most of the time that involved whips and chains. But the Sand Village was more practical. Sex was a fact of life and few Sand Ninjas were shy about discussing the topic. Thus Suna's Secret was as thriving business.

"I like the alliteration, even if the name is a bit misleading. It's not exactly a secret." She muses as she's dragged inside..

"You are way too literal. Hmm let's see, we can add a few more items to your lingerie collection. Oh and I bet that he's the type who likes handcuffs." She says as they enter the adult store.

"He prefers to do the cuffing, but he says that's not one of his big fantasies." Gina offers automatically.

"Ohhh…maybe you don't need my help after all if you are already discussing things like that." Temari says with a wink.

Gina blushes. She really shouldn't have said that. How was she going to get out of this? Normally she could intimidate her sister rather easily, but apparently that was not the case when it came to her love life.

"And you're blushing!" She says.

"Sunburn." The Kazekage mutters.

"Don't give me that. You're a Sand Villager, you don't get sunburns." Temari scoffs.

"What are these?" Gina asks glancing at some of the more exotic items.

"Oh those…" Temari leans in and whispers something to the red head, causing her eyes to widen.

"…" The red head is left speechless.

"Maybe that's a little too advanced for you. Besides, when you have someone with Sasuke's body, even missionary is exciting." She states.

"You are thinking about my sex life to an extent that is beginning to disturb me." The younger sister says.

"Pft! It's what sisters do. We look out for one another." She says.

"And I still don't understand what the shoes have to do with anything. I'm never going to be able to walk in them. Can you imagine trying to fight in them?! Highly impractical." Gina states somberly.

"They aren't for fighting in. They are for sex." She says.

"…Why would you wear shoes while being intimate?" Her more innocent sibling inquires.

"It's a kink some men have. Besides you have great legs. Maybe we should get you some stockings." The blonde muses.

"Temari, I'm sure that if…we ever decide to be intimate that we don't require your assistance!" She growls.

"You'll thank me later. How flexible are you?" Temari asks.

"I don't even want to know why you are asking me that question." The red head snaps at her in an irritated fashion.

"Well there are certain positions that require more flexibility than others. Safety is very important." The blonde says.

"THAT'S IT! SAND COFFIN!" She yells and Temari narrowly avoids the red head's fury.

Meanwhile in the Leaf Village, Sasuke sighs. He waits for Gina's reply. Her last letter had been concerning to put it mildly. Something felt off though. He had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts and his instincts told him something wasn't right.

He looks out his window at the full moon and couldn't help but think of Gina. They had spent many nights in the desert under the moon and starlight. So maybe it was only natural that it would remind him of her.

 _"If you touch him, I will kill you."_ Her words replayed in his head and he smirks at them now, back then he had been shocked to hear her say such a thing.

 _"You would side with him over another Kage?"_ One of the Kages had thundered at her.

 _"It wasn't that long ago, that my village considered me just as much a monster as you consider him now."_ She had snapped at him.

Naruto and Sasuke were brothers in all but blood. But sometimes Sasuke felt…tainted by comparison. The blonde had at least a hundred reasons why he should have snapped and burned this village to the ground. But his loyalty had never wavered to a village that had treated him like a pariah in youth or to his "best friend" who had abandoned him on his quest for power.

In a way, Gina understood him better than Naruto would ever be capable of doing. Both of them had been lost in darkness. And while he knew that neither of them would ever admit it to the lovable blonde, part of them reveled in it. There was a certain freedom in just letting go and being able to show off your complete strength. With almost everyone else, Sasuke always had to hold back. He didn't have to do that with the Kazekage.

 _"Oh I'm sorry. Was I too rough for you?"_ He had taunted her at their rematch.

 _"I like it rough. It's not worth winning, if it's easy."_ She'd countered and he smirked at the double meaning of that one.

 _"You are like a tiger. I imagine at some point, you'll find a female tiger and start producing an army of mini Uchihas. In no universe, do I consider you to be a romantic."_ Gina told him while they were in the hospital.

 _"I'm FULLY capable of being romantic, when I WANT to be."_ He replied.

Sasuke had meant it. He doubted they would ever be the couple that wrote each other sappy love notes or made overly long declarations of love. But she was his most precious person. They showed they cared every time they fought and could have landed a lethal blow, but didn't. That was love, _Ninja Style._

He waits and he waits for several days. Frowning, he realizes he wasn't getting a response to his letter. This meant either she was ignoring him or in trouble. He goes to see Naruto.

"Loser, I'm heading to the Sand." Sasuke tells him.

"Already? I know you and Gina are a thing now, but you just got back." Naruto says.

"I sent her a letter. She hasn't replied." The last Uchiha says.

"Sasuke, she's from the Sand. It'd take at least three days for the letter to get to you and three days back. That's assuming she answered right away. It's probably not a big deal. She is a Kage, you know? She's likely just drowning in paperwork or something." The blonde points out.

"She'd answer right away and I KNOW she's a Kage." The youth snaps in irritation.

"Well if you're really that worried about it, yeah you can go." Naruto says figuring that arguing with Sasuke in this state was useless.

He might not be completely freaking out. But he was irritated and on edge. That didn't bode well for the Leaf Village if he forced him to stay and wait for Gina to reply to the letter. So he decided just to let him go.

Sasuke didn't waste anytime. Naruto noted he already had a traveling pack on him. The bastard dashed off fast as lightning.

"Damn. He really is worried." Naruto mutters to himself.

If Sasuke was that concerned, there was probably a good reason for him to be. Frowning, the blue eyed ninja considers this possibility. Gina would be okay.

There were only a handful of ninjas in the entire world that could give her a run for her money or defeat her and one of them was her boyfriend. Another was her friend. She'd be fine. They were both worrying over nothing. Well at least that was what Naruto hoped.

"Dammit!" Sasuke growls as he races towards the Wind Country.

This long distance thing was a pain in the ass. He had no idea how Shikamaru had done it for so long. Even going full speed with no rest, it'd take him at least a day to get there.

When he arrived, he made a beeline for Gina's office. He pushes open the door and runs inside. He sighs in relief, when he saw Gina at her desk going over what he assumed were mission reports.

"Sasuke?" She looks up in shock and calls out his name.

"You're alright. I was worried." He says and quickly strides over to her side.

"Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?" She inquires and tilts her head to the side in confusion.

Something was wrong. Sasuke was panting. He was covered in sweat and sand. He looked like he had run the entire journey from the Leaf to her village. But why?

"I got your letter about wanting to meet in the Land of Tea and you never responded to mine." He says.

"Sasuke, I never sent any letter asking you to meet me in the Land of Tea. I hear it's quite a lovely tourist spot and I'm sure it would make a wonderful romantic getaway, but I simply don't have the time to do it right now. I have to assess all the newly minted Sand Chunins." She states.

"You…didn't send the letter?" Sasuke asks.

"No." The red head confirms.

"Then someone was pretending to be you and wanted me in the Land of Tea for some reason." He says.

"Sasuke, we'll discuss this shortly. You're very lucky you didn't collapse of heat exhaustion." She says and lightly places her hand over his heart, feeling it beat frantically and his shirt was soaked with sweat.

She hands him a water bottle. He opens it and gulps down some the water. The red head watches transfixed. Only Sasuke could make drinking water look… _sexy._

"Sit down and catch your breath. You might as well give me your shirt. I'll wash it for you, while you cool off." She says.

"You just want an excuse to see me half naked." He says with a smirk.

"I'll admit that is a nice bonus. But I really doubt you want to wear it in this condition." She says.

"Yeah. Good point. That's nice of you to wash my shirt. Such a good little housewife." He taunts her.

"Uchiha!" She growls warningly.

"If you make me dinner, can I watch you prepare it in nothing but an apron?" He continues.

"That's it!" She says and tackles him.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea in the world to tackle him while he was still sitting on the chair and with the water bottle in his hand. The water goes flying, as does the chair. Thankfully, the chair misses them, but they still get soaked.

"You know suddenly I'm really glad that your Kage robes are white." He says.

"Sasuke, you have spent entirely too much time around Kakashi." She says and rolls her eyes.

"Maybe." He admits and rolls them over so he was on top and kisses her.

He smirks and kisses her. It really hadn't been that long. Barely over a week truthfully. But there was nothing more enjoyable than getting her riled up and then making up. She definitely lived up to the whole feisty red head stereotype, in her own way. Thankfully, she wasn't as loud as Karin.

He groans when he feels her arch underneath him. They fit together so perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle. He glides his tongue along hers and was pleased when she returned the favor and runs her fingers through his hair. Gina seemed to enjoy doing this and tugging on it.

Sasuke liked when she tugged though. It meant she was as lost in the moment as he was. Neither of them were exactly…gentle people. So it wasn't surprising that their kisses tended to be more animalistic than soft.

"Hey, Gina I have a few mission late mission reports for you to look at." Kankuro says, as he walkas into her office and then he blinks at the scene before him.

Sasuke was on top of Gina. The Uchiha was shirtless and covered in seat. His sister was underneath him and returning some rather heated kisses. Her clothes were also soaked. He noticed the spilled water bottle and thankfully deduces that maybe it was just water in her case.

"Get the fuck off my sister!" He growls at Sasuke.

Sasuke had been in the middle of enjoying a nice reunion with his almost lover, when he heard the growl. He turns around and raises an eyebrow at Kankuro. He wasn't seriously stupid enough to think that Sasuke felt threatened by him, was he?

"I don't see her protesting." Sasuke states dryly.

"You can't just molest my sister in her office! Show some respect! She's a Kage. Treat her like one." He snaps.

"Kankuro, it's only molesting if I don't want him to do it. And your…suggestion really isn't a good one. Remember Sasuke doesn't really hold much respect for Kageships. He attacked the Kage Summit." She says.

"That's another reason why this is a bad idea! He has no respect for authority!" Kankuro snaps.

"Quiet. You heard her, she's not objecting." Sasuke states.

"Why did it have to be him? Why not Shibuki or Naruto?" Kankuro asks.

"Naruto is like a brother to me. As for Shibuki, he is very kind but…" She trails off and wasn't sure how to respond to that question.

"Boring as fuck?" Sasuke suggests in irritation.

"He's not boring. Shibuki just…I don't feel for him what I feel for you." She says.

"Good." Sasuke replies and wraps his arms around Gina rather firmly.

"He's such a possessive bastard." Her brother scowls.

"Maybe. But no more possessive than I am. I can't say that I would respond much better if someone would ask him why he didn't choose Sakura over Karin." The red head admits.

"I didn't choose them be-" Sasuke is cut off as Gina has him gagged with his sand.

"See? You can't even trust him to have a civilized conversation." The puppet master observes.

Sasuke tries to tug off the gag. It just kept reforming. He gives Gina an irritated look.

"If I wanted civilized, I wouldn't have chosen him." She says with a shrug.

"You really aren't going to change your mind about this, are you?" He says with a sigh.

"No. Now I'm going to go throw this in the wash. If you two try to kill each other in my absence, I will Sand Coffin both of you." She says firmly, undoes the sandgag, and heads off with Sasuke's shirt.

"I really don't like you." Kankuro says.

"And I really don't care. She loves me. That's all that matters." The Uchiha tells him.

"She what?!" The older ninja demands.

"She loves me." He repeats again as if he thought Kankuro was a complete idiot.

"Did she actually say that?!" Kankuro asks.

"Well…not exactly. But it's fucking implied. She told her entire village and by default the world about our relationship. She's a Kage. That was quite a risk for her to take if she only wanted sex." He says and smirks as he saw Kankuro flinch at the S word, _Bingo._

"If she didn't say that she loves you, don't assume it! That's a big deal to her. It might just be a word to you, but it's more than that for her. You have no idea what she's been through." He snaps at him.

"I think I know more than you. You were fucking terrified of her until Naruto came along. So you don't get to lecture me." Sasuke growls.

Gina comes back a few minutes later. She shakes her head. She could hear them fighting. The red head knew it was about her and sighs. She was going to have to keep them from killing each other, it seemed.

"Stop fighting. I told both of you that I wouldn't tolerate you attacking one another." She states in irritation.

"He started it!" They both say.

"Well it looks like you two do have something in common. Your mutual dislike of the other." She says.

"Gina, can't you try to like someone else. Someone who isn't a killer?" He asks.

"Kankuro, don't be a hypocrite. We are ninjas. We are all killers. I'd appreciate it if you could respect my decisions. You don't have to trust Sasuke. But you should trust my judgment." The red head tells him.

"I do trust your judgment, except when it comes to him." He huffs.

"I know you are only doing this because you care about me. I appreciate it. I really do. But this is my choice and Uchiha don't look so smug." She says and rolls her eyes at him playfully.

"I can't make any promises." Sasuke says.

"Uh huh. Well Kankuro, I'll have a look at those reports. I'll see you later okay?" She asks.

"Alright. Just be safe." He states and heads off.

"Your brother is really annoying." Sasuke states.

"If you think that's bad, you should spend more time with Temari." The Kazekage offers.

"I'd rather spend time with you." He says and holds her.

"Yes, I much prefer that as well." She agrees.

"What's in the bag?" He asks.

"Nothing. Temari took me on a shopping excursion. I am still recovering from the psychological scars that I have gained from the experience." She states dryly.

"Uh huh." Sasuke says and he grabs the bag.

"BAD! Put that down!" She yells at him.

"Massage oils?" He asks.

"It was the tamest item that I could find. She would not allow me to leave the building until I purchased something." The red head defends herself.

"These could be fun. According to the label it says it heightens sensitivity." He muses.

"I doubt it actually does." She says.

"We can always find out. You are already sensitive to begin with." He says smugly.

"Uchiha!" She growls.

"You are." Sasuke informs her and sits down in her chair, pulling the red head into his lap.

"I'm not. I just…respond when you touch me. It's not like I'm like that with anyone else." She mutters.

"You better not be. Like your brother said, I'm a _possessive bastard."_ The last Uchiha warns her.

"That doesn't bother me. I don't want anyone else anyway." She says with a smile and kisses him.

"Good. Neither do I." Sasuke declares and kisses her.

A few hours later, Sasuke woke up in Gina's bed. The two had kiss and caressed each other for awhile, until exhaustion set in. He was exhausted from his journey, she was exhausted from battling what she called _the evil paperwork demon from Hell_ for most of the day.

"Guess I should let her sleep." Sasuke murmurs, noticing that Gina was still fast asleep.

He smiles. She looked so cute curled up in his arms like a kitten or something. The last Uchiha smirks as he imagined what her reaction would be to THAT description. Probably a _Sand Coffin._

"Mmm." Gina says as she snuggles closer to that source of warm.

He smiles and glides his hand over her hip. Sasuke could get used to this. Not being alone. Having someone next him when he woke up. The peace and quiet. It was nothing like the Leaf Village.

Meanwhile, Onoki paces. He was in a meeting with Tsunade, Mei, and the Raikage. He couldn't believe this. Gina was actually in a relationship with the Uchiha.

He knew that Sasuke had clearly been attempting to seduce her. But it was one thing for a secret romance to be happening. It was quite another to announce it to your whole village. The girl must have taken complete leave of her senses, he decided.

"I don't see what you are all so upset about. She's an adult. Gina may be considerably younger than most of us, but she's not foolish. I'm sure she's considered the possible risks to entering such a relationship." Mei offers.

"He's probably got her under a Genjutsu or something. Yes, that must be it!" Onoki says.

"It's not a Genjutsu. Genjutsu was Itachi's strong suit. It's never been Sasuke's. No this is natural." Tsunade protests.

"I don't care if it's real or fake. The results are the same. What are we going to do about this situation?" The Raikage demands.

"What can we do? It's as Mei says, none of us really have the authority to order her not to do it. She seems happy. But still I have to admit, I do have my concerns. Neither of them have the most stable history. Neither are experienced when it comes to matters of the heart. This could end in disaster." Tsunade says with a sigh.

"That is the understatement of the century." The Stone kage agrees with a sigh.


	14. Chapter 14

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. For those interested, I have a new Gina x Sasuke story up. It's called _**Just Like Fire**_. It's a much more feral and passionate take on their relationship. This one is warm and fuzzy by if you compare the two. But I only write happy endings. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: There is a pretty long lemon. I put warnings before and after. So you can skip it if you want easily.

Chapter Fourteen

Gina wakes up snuggled in the arms of a killer. Well they were both killers, she knew. But still it was ironic, that she had never felt safer than she did in the arms of her almost lover when you considered his…colorful history.

"Are you seriously trying to molest me in my sleep?" She asks in amusement, feeling his hands glide over her hip.

"The thought had occurred to me, but I figured it's more enjoyable when we are both awake." Sasuke says in a smug tone.

"Oh yes, how perceptive of you." She says dryly and kisses him.

Sasuke kisses back. The youngest Uchiha nods in agreement. He smirks into the kiss and then breaks it, noticing the Sun was already high in the sky. It must be later than he thought.

"I thought so. We still need to find out who sent that letter and why." He mutters.

"Yes, we do. Someone was trying to lure you into the Land of Tea. I doubt their intentions were purely benevolent in nature." She agrees.

She frowns as she looks at him. The thought of anything happening to him sent a cold wave of dread throughout her body. It disturbed her, how attached to him she had become. It probably wasn't healthy to be so dependent on another person for your happiness. Was this how Temari felt about Shikamaru, she wondered?

"Don't worry. I doubt whoever they are is stronger than Madara." He assures her.

"It's not always the strongest person who wins the fight." She replies and Sasuke could see she was truly worried.

"Good thing I'm also the smartest and fastest." He states.

"And incredibly modest as well." She replies sarcastically, causing Sasuke to kiss her.

She smiles into the kiss and returns it. The red head still didn't understand what it was about the act of him touching his lips against hers, that felt so good. The Kazekage only knew that it did and she always wanted more of it. Kissing was a blissful experience.

"Yes, there is that too." He says, breaking the kiss and smiling against her lips.

"I love you." She whispers.

Sasuke blinks. She had actually said it. He hadn't expected that to happen for a long time, if ever. For someone like Gina that was not an easy declaration to make.

"I love you to. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." He murmurs and kisses her neck, sucking on the collarbone.

"Mmm you will eventually. You're a Leaf ninja. I'm the Kazekage." She pants and arches against him.

Necking was similar to kissing, she noticed. It felt like her blood was on fire. But it was that wonderfully good fire. She didn't know how to describe it really. She knew later on, she would be embarrassed by some of the wanton sounds she made. But it always felt so good that for a few minutes, everything else was forgotten.

Their pasts didn't matter. The fact he was from another village was of no consequence. What others would think about their relationship wasn't a concern to her. Whoever sent that letter was not on her mind. She wasn't even worried about their future. Nothing else existed but him and her and their feelings towards each other.

"That doesn't matter right now." He tells her and bites her neck lightly in "punishment" for bringing that up, causing her to moan.

"What were we talking about again?" She asks and shivers.

"That you love me. I love you to and I'll prove it." Sasuke tells her and looks at her with the ruby red eyes of the Sharingan.

"How?" The red head asks.

"Like this." He says and takes out a kunai, slicing of her robes and lingerie, being careful not to cut the skin.

She shivers. There was something erotic about the cool blade tracing along her skin. It was strange, a kunai was against her and her sand had yet to respond.

"You mean it. Your sand isn't trying to defend you. You know that I wouldn't hurt you, instinctively." Sasuke smiles and seems pleased with that thought, kissing her.

 **Warning Lemon**

"I wouldn't say it, if I didn't mean it. Now it's my turn." She murmurs after returning her kiss.

"You're turn?" He asks in confusion.

"I'm…not an expert but generally when people make love, I believe both are naked." She informs him and her sand yanks off his clothes rather efficiently.

"I'm a little disturbed that your sand can strip me in under ten seconds." He observes with amusement and slides off her lingerie.

"Yes, you should be. Remember that I can make things highly embarrassing for you in public, if you cross me." She warns him.

"Have you ever heard of the Tribal Dance?" Sasuke asks her.

"Of course I have. Every adult Sand Villager knows that one." She says with amusement and wraps her legs around his waist, before sliding further up the bed enough so that her breasts were level with his face and there was not an inch of space between their bodies.

"Cozy." He murmurs approvingly and caresses her ass with one hand, using his other to trace circles around one nipple, while capturing the other in his hot mouth.

Gina gasps and squirms. She had thought his kisses were enjoyable but this was NEW. It was like a molten lava was suddenly flowing through her veins and was pooling in her womanhood. She had felt arousal before, but it had never hit her THIS strongly. She wraps her legs around him tighter, instinctively trying to draw them closer together.

"You're really sensitive." Sasuke muses and he sucks harder, now squeezing the other breast.

"C-an't help it. That feels good." She sighs in pleasure and arches against him, finding his neck and beginning to place kisses along the collarbone.

"So does that." He says and gives the other breast the same treatment, as Gina runs her hands along his muscular back.

"Nhhh G-ina what the Hell?" Sasuke groans and arches against her.

"Mmm sorry, I can't control it sometimes. It's an instinct." She says and retracts the sand which had had begun teasing his manhood in a manner similar to a hand job.

"I'd prefer your actual hands, but that did feel good." He tells her, grabbing her hand and placing it on himself, causing the red head to blush deeply.

Sasuke was amused. Frisking him with sand was fine, but she was shy about actually touching him there. Only Gina, he thought and places butterfly kisses along her stomach, his hand parting her thighs.

"Relax. You'll like it." He tells her as he moves further down.

Before the red head could ask what IT was, she soon found out. She gasps and moans when she felt him kiss her in a far more erotic way then he had before. His lips and tongue were brushing against her womanhood in sinfully good ways. She had never felt anything like this.

"S-sasuke!" She moans and arches against him desperately, stroking him faster.

"Fuck!" He growls in pleasure when he felt her hand move against him faster, causing a wave of white hot lust to shoot through him.

Pleased with this result, he goes back to licking her. He'd never tongue this before. But apparently women loved oral sex just as much as men. He rubs his thumb over her clit and that earned him more desperate moans from his soon to be lover.

Gina cries out in pleasure when her orgasm washes over her with the force of a tsunami. Sasuke wasn't far behind her. He came with a roar.

"You ready?" He asks her.

"Almost." She says and flips him so he was on his back and straddles his waist.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't expected that. Gina apparently wanted to top. He tilts his head to the side, he hadn't seen that one coming. But the view was quite nice. God did he love her breasts.

"I'm used to…being in charge. I'm a Kage." She reasons.

"Well who am I to argue with the view?" He says with a smirk.

Gina brushes herself against his erection and they both moan. That felt _**GOOD.**_ The red head leans over him, kissing Sasuke as she slowly slides onto him. She whimpers once he was inside her.

"Just relax. It'll feel really good soon." Sasuke murmurs, breaking the kiss, and runs one hand over her back, while rubbing her womanhood with the other.

 _Hot, tight, and wet._ Fuck that felt good. It took all his self control not to just flip them, bend the gorgeous red head over the bed, and fuck her senseless. Sasuke fought back the impulse though. She needed time to adjust.

He sighs in relief when he hears her mew so cutely, enjoying his touches and feels her rock her hips tentatively. Finally, they were in sync. He knew in reality it had likely only been a few seconds or minutes at most. But it had felt like eternity to him.

Sasuke growls in pleasure and thrusts into his new lover powerfully. Gina moans and throws her head back in pleasure when he hit something inside her. Some spot that made her see stars behind her eyes. Sasuke seemed to know what it was, because she slams into it again and again, faster and faster.

The sounds of desperate moans, pants, growls, and flesh against flesh are soon heard throughout the room. Sasuke grabs her hips and tries to guide her. The red head takes the signal for what it was and soon matches his rhythm.

"Sasuke!" She moans.

"Together." He says simply, grabbing her ass and moaning her name as he cums hard at the same time as the Kazekage.

 **End of Lemon**

"I can see what everyone talks about now." The red head murmurs as she slowly comes down from the high of her orgasm and cuddles into him.

"Yeah. Clan restoration just became even more appealing." He mutters and kisses the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her as he slides out of his lover.

Thankfully, the red head was enjoying the afterglow too much to really focus on what he had just said. Her heart was pounding in her chest. So that was sex.

Now she understood what Temari had been going on about all this time. If it was always like that, the red head was pretty sure she was going to become addicted and quickly. There was just one problem. Sasuke didn't live in the Sand. It was nearly a week of travel every time one of them decided to visit the other and return home.

"I don't want you to go." She says.

"I don't either. Maybe you could send Naruto a letter. He knows about us now. He'd probably let me transfer without too fighting us too hard on it." Sasuke says.

She tilts her head. Could she really ask him to do that? She was asking him to leave behind the village of his birth. The village where his family was buried. He could return to it of course. She visited the Leaf fairly regularly, but still…it wasn't the same.

She would be asking him to give up quite a lot. He was a stranger in the Sand for the most part. Sasuke barely knew anyone in this village. He knew almost nothing of it's customs, history, or culture. She might as well be asking him if he wanted to move to another planet. Ninja culture varied that greatly from one village to the next.

"You would really do that? Move here, I mean?" She asks.

"Why wouldn't I? Other than Naruto, there's nothing for me in the Leaf that I care about. And I'll see him regularly enough. Here I have you and a fresh start. Well as fresh as I'm ever going to get." He adds as an afterthought.

"Are you sure that's not just the afterglow talking?" She asks.

"The fantastic sex is definitely a perk." He admits and pins her playfully, kissing her.

"Mhm." She agrees, returning his kiss, and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"But it's not the only reason. It's hard to start over when all you see are reminders of the past. And this way we can see each other as much as we want." He says.

"Something tells me we are going to make really good use of that spinning chair." She muses.

"The best use." Sasuke agrees.

"I'll write him when I wake up." She yawns cutely and snuggles into him.

"Looks like we found a cure for your insomnia." He muses and the other ninja nods.

"Get some sleep. I'll stand guard." He tells her.

"Sasuke, it's my room. Nothing is going to happen here." She says in amusement.

"I was teasing." He tells her and kisses her forehead.

"Oh. I'm still…getting used to humor that isn't of the sarcastic variety." She admits.

"Don't worry about it." He says and Gina closes her eyes.

He could tell when she fell asleep by how her breathing evened out. Sasuke knew that Naruto would have some smart ass comment to make about him wanting to transfer to the Sand. But he was confident that the loser would let him do it. The blonde was a romantic at heart and the last Uchiha highly doubted that he'd want to keep two lovers apart.

Was he still the last Uchiha though? He wondered. They hadn't used any protection. The odds were slim, but it was still a possibility. Maybe she was already pregnant.

"I wonder how she would take it." He murmurs to himself.

Gina had expressed to put it mildly, concerns about the topic before. Sasuke didn't think it was necessarily that Gina didn't like kids or didn't want them, just that she didn't trust herself around them. It was probably partially because of her sand. If she got frustrated, things could go bad and quickly. But mostly, he thought it was the result of her fucked up childhood.

Honestly, he had no idea how Naruto did it. How he didn't hold any bitterness towards the village that would treat an innocent kid like a pariah over something that wasn't his fault. Naruto had survived to adulthood without major psychological scars and his loyalty to the Leaf Village had never wavered. It was amazing really.

"That's not true for her though." He observes.

Gina still had the scars and they were deep ones. While she was Kazekage now and had the respect and even love of her village, her opinion of herself had been fundamentally shaped during those years when she hadn't had that support. Sasuke was sure there were still some days where Gina honestly viewed herself as a monster.

He knew he viewed himself that way sometimes. But he had never had a demon inside him. Everything that he had done, no matter how wrong…he had done because he CHOSE to. She hadn't. In a way, Gina was more "innocent" than him.

"This time, it will be different." He promises the sleeping woman and wraps his arms around her stomach protectively.

This time there wouldn't be a massacre. This time a demon wouldn't be placed inside a child. Their children wouldn't suffer like they had because of the actions of others. He would make sure of it.

Later Gina wakes. She smiles when she sees Sasuke must have fallen asleep. The red head curses when she saw the clock! Damn it! She had a meeting with village architect in an hour.

She quickly writes a note and leaves it where Sasuke could see it, before darting off to get a very quick shower. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to go to the meeting with the scent of sex still clinging to her skin, she decided.

 _ **Sasuke,**_

 _ **I have a meeting with the village's head architect at two. I'll be back later.**_

 _ **Love, Gina**_

She finishes her shower and dresses quickly. Then Gina heads off to meet with Kita. Kita had been the head architect of the Sand Village since before the Kazekage had even been born. He was quite renowned.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kazekage." He says.

"Good afternoon, do you have everything that you need to complete the orphanage and the hospital additions?" She asks.

"We are going to need more concrete." He states simply.

"How much more?" The red head asks.

He tells her the figure. Gina blinks. That seemed like a lot to her. But…construction wasn't exactly her area of expertise. She promises him that she would get it.

"To be honest, I am surprised that you were able to come to this meeting. I was there when you made the announcement about your relationship." He muses.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asks in confusion.

"Well it's widely known that he wants to restore his Clan. I figured since you two were serious enough about each other to reveal your relationship to the public, that you might be busy…helping him do so." He says tactfully.

"Even if I was trying to…help him in such a fashion, I would not neglect my duties to do so. Sasuke understands my position and respects that I have responsibilities." She says.

"Ah I see. So you aren't trying then. I suppose that is a wise choice. Best to let the dust settle and allow everyone to have time to get used to the idea of you two being together." He says sagely.

"I'm not certain I care to be discussing my personal life in such vivid detail with you. I would like to focus on the construction." Gina says.

"Of course, My Lady. I meant no offense." He offers.

"None was taken." The red head lies seamlessly.

She frowns as she listens to Kita prattle on about various details in the construction process. Honestly, she didn't understand half of it. But it seemed that he had everything he needed and so far they were on schedule. Still the red head was having a very difficult time focusing.

 _"Well it's widely known that he wants to restore his Clan. I figured since you two were serious enough about each other to reveal your relationship to the public, that you might be busy…helping him do so."_ His words rang in her ears again and again on an endless loop.

Gina was aware that he was speaking the truth. Sasuke did want a family. How quickly he wanted it, she wasn't sure. He had never REALLY pressed the issue. He had made one comment about her maternal instincts being fine. But other than that…She didn't delude herself. Sooner or later it was going to be an issue.

She bit her lower lip. Well she definitely enjoyed sex. Sex was glorious actually. So the activity that led to babies, that she had no issue with. But actually having one of her own? That was another matter.

"Lady Kazekage?" Kita asks.

"Oh what? I'm sorry. I'm afraid my mind wandered for a moment. What were you saying?" She asks.

"I think it would be best if we call it a day. I appreciate your meeting with me. I imagine you have other business to attend to and I should get back to the construction crew." He offers.

"Yes, of course." She says.

Meanwhile back in Gina's room, Sasuke woke up. He frowns when he noticed that she wasn't laying next to him. That's when he noticed the note.

Sasuke picks it up and reads it. The last Uchiha, well most likely the last Uchiha, reads it and smiles. She had signed it _love Gina._ Most people wouldn't think much of this, but for her that was likely a big deal.

"I'll grab some food, while I wait." He mutters and heads to the kitchen.

He wasn't really sure how to broach the subject. Surely, at some point the youngest Kage would realize they hadn't used the jutsu. But he felt it'd probably be best if he brought it up first.

He didn't want her to be panicking. He winced, panic was likely to be her response. Maybe a good meal might put her in a more…receptive mood.

"Sasuke?" He hears Gina call out.

"I'm in the kitchen. Thought you might be hungry when you got back." He states.

She smiles. That was actually sweet. It was going to take awhile to process the fact that Sasuke could be sweet when he wanted to be.

"I am a little." She admits.

"You want to go over what we are going to send to Naruto in the letter?" He asks.

"Probably a good idea. I decided it's best to keep it simple. Dear Naruto, Sasuke and I would like if you would allow him to become a citizen of the Sand Village so that we don't have to maintain a long distance relationship." She says.

"How about…Dear Naruto, Let Sasuke become a Sand Villager or I will Sand Coffin you out of existence." He asks.

"Sasuke!" The red head admonishes him.

"I'm just saying, it seems more effective. But if you prefer you could say I'll Chidori his balls off if he doesn't." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"You are unbelievable." She mutters.

"And you're beautiful." He says and kisses her.

"I love you but I really have no idea what I'm going to do with you." She murmurs, after returning his kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry about the late update. I got caught up on some other stories. I also have _**Just Like Fire (**_ Gina x Sasuke) and _**We're the Same**_ (Female Sasuke x Gaara) for those interested. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and we have now cracked 50,000 words on this story. ^_^.

Chapter 15

Naruto blinks when he read the letter. Sasuke wanted to move to the Sand. He supposed he should have expected it. Gina was Kazekage. She couldn't move like Temari and Sasuke had spent a good chunk of his life away from the Leaf Village, so it wasn't as if he was the type to get homesick.

"Naruto, I know that it would be difficult for you to approve the transfer. You spent so many years trying to bring him back. But if this is what will make him happy, you should be a good friend. Besides, you can always visit him and he can visit you." Kakashi offers, seeing that the blonde was conflicted.

"I know you're right. It's just a bit hard is all. I'm happy for the bastard though. God knows if anyone needs love in their life, it's him. I didn't really expect it to be with Gina. I mean the first time she met him, she wanted to kill him." The blonde says cheerfully.

Kakashi chuckles. Naruto did have a point. He well remembered the Chunin Exams. That was part of the reason why he had trained Sasuke so hard. Gina had been a formidable opponent even back then.

Who would have thought that the bloodthirsty Genin would become Kazekage just a few short years later? It was hard to reconcile the woman she had become to the monster she had been. Perhaps that was part of the appeal. Both of them had faced their demons and won. (Well Gina had. Some days he still wondered about Sasuke.)

"And just think, in a few years we might have some red headed Uchihas running around." He chuckles.

Naruto blinks. The silver haired ninja could tell his former student was processing that image. Honestly, he wasn't stating anything that wasn't obvious. Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan and was now in a relationship. The math was rather simple.

"Do you really think they'll have kids?" He asks.

"I don't think. I know. Unless he turns out to be sterile or she is barren, they will." He says.

"That would be really cruel. I mean if they found each other and the bastard couldn't get the family he always wanted. Well I suppose he could…surrogates or whatever." He says.

Kakashi shakes his head at this. It was difficult for the CopyCat Ninja to picture the red head tolerating a surrogate. Gina had never known love before. His best guess based on her psychology was that she would likely be just as jealous of a lover as Sasuke was. (Perhaps even more so.)

"Jealousy would make that difficult. Though I suppose it's possible." He concedes.

"Yeah. It's hard to picture Sasuke as a dad. Do you think the kids would be like Gina with the Sand?" He asks.

"I don't know. God I hope not. Imagine the Terrible Twos." Kakashi says with a chuckle as Naruto stamps _**APPROVED**_ on the transfer papers that gina had enclosed with the letter.

"Well hopefully, she can handle the bastard." Naruto says with a bright smile.

"I'd be more worried about him. You know what they say about red heads." His former Sensei replies with a sly smile.

"No. What do they say about red heads?" The blonde asks curiously and Kakashi just shakes his head at Naruto's innocence.

That was the biggest difference between Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke's innocence had been ripped from him at an early age. The blue eyed ninja had managed to cling to his despite all odds. How someone who had traveled with Jirayia for years, didn't know about red heads…was beyond Kakashi's comprehension.

"Nevermind. So what is going on with you and Karin?" He asks.

"Oh um we are kinda a thing now." Naruto replies.

"Then you'll find out what I meant about red heads soon enough." Kakashi says knowingly.

Meanwhile back in the Sand, Gina snuggles further into that wonderful unknown source of warmth in her bed. The Sun was very rudely shining into her window and threatening to wake her up. But she didn't want to get up. She felt completely content.

"Mmm what time is it?" She murmurs and opens her eyes, realizing the reason why she felt so warm is because a certain Uchiha was laying next to her.

"About half past eight in the morning." Saskue replies.

"Damn it!" She mutters and springs out of bed almost as fast as a cheetah, giving Sasuke quite the eyeful.

He watches as the red head panics and runs around her room. It looked like she was on the hunt for suitable undergarments and looking for her Kazekage robes. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and smirks as he twirls a thong in his hand.

"Sasuke, give me that!" She says.

"I don't know. You don't really need it. It's not like they can see through your robes. I doubt whoever you have to meet with is a Hyuga. And really, it's a time saver. It's just going to come off later anyway." He states.

Gina rolls her eyes at her lover. Her sand snatches the undergarment and she puts it on, quickly throwing on a bra, and pulling her robes over her head. Sasuke shakes his head and kisses her.

"You could play hooky. Who are you meeting with anyway?" He asks.

"I can't do that. I'm meeting with Mei. We are working out trade ratios. The Sand needs that water and I'm supposed to meet her at Nine. Damn it! It's already a quarter till. Damn you, Uchiha! Quit distracting me." She growls at him.

"If I wanted to distract you, I'd do this." Sasuke says, pulling her into his arms, and biting on her neck.

"Th-at isn't fair and you know it!" She whines and moans when he starts sucking hard on her collarbone.

"I know. Go see Mei and hurry back. I want to see how strong that desk of yours is." He says and brushes his thumb against her lips before giving her one last kiss.

Gina finds herself moaning into the kiss. Actually that desk offer was rather tempting. Maybe Mei would be willing to wait a few hours…

"You really are evil. You shouldn't tempt me like that. I'm a Kage. I have responsibilities. I'm not some Chunin that can sneak away from guard duty for a secret rendezvous with my lover." She says.

"I get it. Unlike Naruto, you actually do the actual job sometimes." He says and releases her.

"When I get back, you are getting sandcuffed to the desk for this." She mutters.

"Now I'm trembling with…excitement." He says and watches as she heads off.

Mei chuckles and looks at the clock. It was 9:02. It wasn't like the red head to be late ever. She would bet her life that it had something to do with Sasuke.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Gina says as she scurries inside the office.

"Oh it's fine. I don't mind being kept waiting. I have to admit that I'm impressed by how quickly you can move considering…" She trails off.

"Considering what?" Gina asks as she sits down.

Mei couldn't help but giggle. Perhaps Gina hadn't even noticed the slight awkwardness of her gate. Adrenaline could be quite the powerful thing.

"Judging by the markings on your neck and how you are walking, I'd say that it's rather obvious you had quite the…enjoyable evening." She says slyly.

Gina feels her face heat up. Suddenly, she finds her feet rather fascinating. It was one thing to tell everyone that she was involved with Sasuke. Discussing her sex life with him was another thing entirely, especially when it was with another Kage.

"Can we focus on the trade agreement?" She asks tactfully.

"Gina, you know me better than that. Besides, are we not friends?" Mei inquires.

"Of course we are friends. We fought side by side in the War. You have always had my back and I appreciate it. It's just…awkward. I really don't think I should discuss my love life with another Kage because of international security implications." She says.

Mei shakes her head. Gina had had to grow up far too fast. Most ninjas did, but the red head was an extreme case by almost any metric. She had to be the most professional of the Kages. The woman had to learn to have some fun once in awhile. (Well apparently she had when it came to a certain dark haired ninja, but still girl talk was important!)

"Gina, I really doubt that Sasuke's sexual performance will impact international security one way or another, unless you're pregnant. Wait you aren't, are you?" She asks and her eyes widen at the possibility.

"What? No! Of course not! Well at least I don't think so. We only were intimate once and that was last night. So I wouldn't know yet. We got caught up in the moment and forgot to use the Jutsu. I guess it's possible. But it just seems so unlikely…" She says in a rush.

"Gina, calm down you are panicking." Mei tells her.

Gina wills herself to take a deep breath. It was only once. The odds were low. Sasuke was a super ninja, but it's not like he had super sperm for Godsakes! It wasn't like just because he was an Uchiha that sex would result in automatic conception without protection. That was just silly.

"Alright. I'm calm now. Thank you." She murmurs.

"Are you really that scared of it? You two seem committed to each other. I doubt he would leave you if that was the case. He wants to restore his Clan. He would stay. He wouldn't abandon you or your child, if that's what worries you." Mei says and places her hand on the red head's shoulder.

She shakes her head. No, that definitely wasn't what she was worried about. While it was hard to picture him with something as fragile as a baby, she knew that he would be utterly devoted to any child he sired. That was the future of his Clan after all.

"No. It's not that. It's just I don't think that I'd be good at it. Being a mother isn't something that I feel would come naturally to me. That's all and we are committed to each other." She replies.

"Gina, you have been running a village since you were barely a teenager. I think you can handle a baby." She says with a smile.

"Maybe. But anyway, can we please get back to the trade agreements?" She asks.

"You still didn't tell me how it went. I'm not exactly asking for a play by play. It's not like I'm asking how big his "sword" is. Well if you wanted to tell me that, of course I would listen…but you know sexual compatibility is a very important factor in a relationship." She states.

"Mei I am NEVER telling you anything about Sasuke's "sword." That would be an utter violation of his privacy. And we don't have to worry about sexual compatibility. Sex and training is really what we excel at together." She replies and mentally kicks herself, why did she say that out loud?

"He must have incredible stamina." She muses.

"MEI, WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING MY SEX LIFE! Now, I would really appreciate it, if we could focus on these trade agreements." The flustered red head yells.

"Alright. Alright." Mei says and they get down to business.

Meanwhile Sasuke, showers, dresses, and heads to the kitchen. He was hungry. He saw Kankuro there and mentally sighs.

Yeah, this was going to be annoying. This was going to be really fucking annoying. But still he should at least try to work things out with Gina's brother. Sasuke was aware that she was close to him.

"You came to see her at this hour?" He asks.

"I didn't. I never left." Sasuke says and lets that sink in.

Kankuro smacks his forehead in frustration. He wanted Gina to be happy. She deserved it after everything that she had been through. He was happy that she had found love. But did it really HAVE to be with Sasuke fucking Uchiha?

His baby sister had fallen in love with a former S Class Criminal. A criminal who by the way, was able to stand against Madara and could probably level villages without batting an eyelash. Why couldn't she had picked someone more…normal?

"I don't want details. Just tell me if there is ANY chance that I'm going to be an uncle." Kankuro mutters.

"There's a slight chance." Sasuke says.

"Damn it! You are supposed to be a genius! Why didn't you use the Jutsu?!" He demands.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He would tell Kankuro it was none of his business. But Kankuro was right. If Gina did get pregnant from last night, he was going to be an uncle. He did have a right to know such things.

"It just…happened. If she is though, I WILL take care of her and the baby. I love her." He says.

"YOU LOVE HER?!" Kankuro asks in disbelief.

Sasuke nods. He knew from the puppet master's perspective, that was likely very difficult to believe. But it was the truth. Sasuke had never been more sure of anything in his life than the fact that he loved that red head.

"I know that Gina and I haven't always had the most conventional brother and sister relationship. But we are close now. I care about her. I want her to be happy. For God knows what reason, she seems happy with you." He offers.

Sasuke was going to open his mouth and correct Kankuro. She didn't seem happy with him. She was happy with him. But in the interest of keeping the peace, he nods.

"I know. I shouldn't have snapped at you the other day like I did. I realize you are just worried about her and from your perspective, I'm only going to hurt her. But I'm not going to." Sasuke promises him.

"You better not. We both know that you are stronger than me. But if you hurt her, so help me I will find a way to end you." Kankuro warns him.

"I'd expect and deserve no less." He says.

"Good." Kankuro replies, not at all sure what to say after that.

"Good. I'm glad we had this talk. It's good that we…cleared the air. I know how important you are to her and I don't want to drive a wedge between the two of you." Sasuke says.

Kankuro nods. He heads off. He didn't really know what else to say to Sasuke. He figured it was better to leave before they started fighting again. If they did, Gina wasn't here right now. He would be toast and he knew that.

Sasuke leaves a note for Gina. He figured she'd be awhile. Besides, he wanted to explore the village. It was a chance to start over.

It was a new experience to say the least. While in the Leaf people still looked at him with a mix of awe and fear, in the Sand the reactions were more mixed. Yes, there was still a healthy dose of fear. There was quite a bit of awe. But mostly wherever he went he heard giggles from the women and amused chuckles from the men.

"So what's Suna's Secret?" He asks one of the villagers.

"Oh well it's a local favorite. It's where you can buy all sorts of specialty gifts for your partner." The middle aged man tells him.

"Oh. Thanks." Sasuke says and he walks in, figuring maybe he'd pick up something for Gina.

His intention had been INNOCENT. Maybe some jewelry, flowers, or some sweets. But when he walked into that store, it was anything but innocent.

"Well at least now I know what he meant by specialty." He mutters and his arrival caused quite the stir.

A clerk immediately approached him. Sasuke got the impression that he wanted to give him a free sample to the Kazekage for the publicity. Sasuke shakes his head, he could pay if there was anything in this place that Gina wouldn't kill him for buying.

"That's very generous of you. But I couldn't take advantage of that. Besides, I have money. I'm just…browsing. I've never been in here before." Sasuke says.

"Ah well if you have any questions, I'll be right over there." He says.

He blinks as he looks at some of the things on display. Sasuke was by no means naïve when it came to sex. You couldn't be if you had lived in the Sound Village. But he had to admit the Sand Villagers apparently were not ashamed of their rather…unique tastes. Half of the items he had no idea what they were.

He did however notice a rather nice set of black lacy lingerie. It was in Gina's size as well. He contemplated getting it. But if he got it, the shop owner would know who it was for. He wasn't sure if Gina wanted everyone to know that he bought her lingerie.

"Fuck it." He mutters under his breath and goes to buy it.

The entire village knew they were together. He imagined by the time the Sun set, everyone would know he'd been in this store. There wasn't really a reason to be shy about it. And if Gina got flustered, he'd just kiss her embarrassment away.

"Oh good choice! I'm rather partial to black as well. Would you like the stockings that come with it? They are optional." He asks.

Gina did have gorgeous legs. He supposed the fact she wore such a heavy gourd all the time likely forced them to become tone and strong to support the weight of her sand. They might look nice in the stockings.

"Sure." Sasuke says and he pays for the purchase.

Meanwhile, Gina gets done with her meeting with Mei. She heads to her room and frowns when she doesn't seem Sasuke. That was odd. He had seemed…frisky this morning. Why had he left? That's when she saw the note.

 _ **Dear Gina,**_

 _ **I went to explore the village. I figured you were going to be awhile with Mei. It's probably a good idea to let them get used to seeing me. I'll be back soon.**_

 _ **Love, Sasuke.**_

"Well at least he's making an effort to assimilate." She says with a smile.

"Yes, I am. I even patronized a local business." Sasuke says, having teleported back into their room and wrapped his arms around her.

"SASUKE! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She grumbles.

"A Kage should be more aware of their surroundings, don't you think?" He muses and licks her ear.

Gina shivers. She knew that she was supposed to be annoyed with him about something. She just was having a very difficult time remembering it at the moment. When he licked her ear like that and was holding her so nicely. He was always so warm. She snuggles into his warmth.

"Maybe." She admits.

"Besides, I got you something." He says.

Gina tilts her had. He got her a present? That was unexpectedly sweet of him. Then again this was Sasuke. There was usually an ulterior motive involved and she was soon proven right when she opened it.

"You got me…lingerie." She says.

"You were looking for yours this morning. Besides, I kinda felt like I should get something. It'd be bad manners to leave the store without making some kind of purchase." Sasuke reasons.

Gina laughs. Oh yes, Sasuke fucking Uchiha was worried about seeming rude. If anyone actually believed that she had a lake to sell you…in the Sand.

"What are you laughing about?" He asks.

"The fact you actually expect me to believe that you were worried about bad manners. I'm sure that was the only reason you bought this." She muses.

"Alright. So maybe I thought black lace would look hot on a red head who happens to have some very nice…ASSets." He muses and trails his hand over the curve of her hip suggestively.

"I have created a monster." She murmurs.

"Yes, you have." Sasuke agrees and kisses her.

She smiles and kisses back. Gina had never believed that she would be capable of romantic love, much less that someone would ever feel that way about her. But here she was, enjoying the seductive touches of a ninja who had once…attacked the Kage Summit. The world was a strange place sometimes.

"And I suppose you want me to wear this…tiny garment for you?" She asks.

"That would be why I bought it, yes." Sasuke says with a nod.

"I'll think about it." She mutters.

"Good. You know fair is fair. If you wear it for me, I'll do something you like." Sasuke says and kisses her cheek.

Gina tilts her head to the side. She had never really pondered her sexual preferences much before. She LIKED being with him though. Honestly, as far as she was concerned, he could just keep doing what he was doing. This was especially true when it came to how he could use his tongue.

"There has to be something you would like to try. Everyone has fantasies." Sasuke continues.

"I'll think about it. I haven't really given the matter much consideration before. I never thought that I would…" She trails off.

"Have a lover." Sasuke supplies and Gina nods, feeling rather embarrassed at admitting that.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's only natural you would assume that given your upbringing…or lack of one, I should say. It's alright. We'll find out what you like by exploring. I already know you like being bitten." He says with a smirk and bites down on her neck.

"Nhh!" She moans and squirms.

"And that you like your breasts caressed." He continues and glides his hands over her clothed chest to illustrate his point, causing Gina to sigh softly in pleasure.

"V-ery much so." She whispers.

"And that you really oral sex. But then again, who doesn't?" He smirks.

Gina blushes. Honestly, he was going to be the death of her. She was either going to die from embarrassment or from not being able to keep up with his desire. But what a way to go, she mused.


	16. Chapter 16

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all like this chapter. It will be set six months after the last one.

Chapter 16

It had been six months since Gina had written Naruto with her request for Sasuke to be transferred. The red head was initially shocked by how quickly the blonde approved it. After all, he had spent years trying to get Sasuke to return to the Leaf Village and here he was willingly sending him away. She smiles as she reads Naruto's letter.

 _ **Dear Gina,**_

 _ **Things are going well in the Leaf. The Academy is about to have their graduation ceremony and I'm expected to give a big speech. I know I should be working on it, but I'm just going to wing it. I always think it's more inspiring to speak from the heart anyway.**_

 _ **So how have you been? Is the bastard behaving himself? He must be. I haven't heard any tales of destruction about the Sand recently. Is his face covered in sunburns yet? It has to be. Skin like his is just not suited for a desert climate.**_

 _ **I can't believe you two are still together. He must be a better boyfriend than I expected. Otherwise you would have Sand Coffined him by now, right? Does the bastard ever do normal stuff like getting you flowers? I bet he doesn't.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you guys are happy with each other. God knows someone has to remove that giant stick shoved up his ass. Maybe you've managed to do it by now. Does he actually smile or is he still just smirking like usual? Nevermind. Pretty sure I know the answer to that. Can't wait to see you guys at the Kage Summit.**_

 _ **Love, Naruto**_

She chuckles as she reads the letter and blinks when she felt someone leaning over her shoulder. She looks back and notices it was Sasuke. He looked more than a little irritated.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"I don't like the way he signs his letters. Tell the loser to knock that off." Sasuke mutters and kisses her cheek.

She raises an eyebrow. Sasuke couldn't possibly be serious. He was jealous over THAT? Naruto didn't mean that he was in love with her romantically. He only meant the friendship kind of love. That much should be obvious because half of the letter was about her and Sasuke's relationship as a couple.

"You're jealous." She mutters.

"I'm not jealous. I just don't like it." He says and wraps his arms around her, kissing her neck.

"Mmm." She lets out a soft sigh pleasure when he does so.

He was so jealous. She smiles at the knowledge. As long as he didn't do something stupid like attack Naruto over it, it was actually flattering. He wanted her enough to be upset if someone else found her desirable.

"Exactly. So tell the idiot to lay with the love Naruto endings." He says and rubs her shoulders.

"Alright. If it upsets that much, I will. But I hope you know that you are being ridiculous. Naruto only sees me as a friend and I see him as a blonde Kankuro." She explains.

Sasuke shudders a bit. The thought of a blonde Kankuro was highly disturbing. It just felt so wrong. Where did Gina come up with this stuff? He knew what she was trying to say. She was trying to say that she viewed Naruto as a brother, but he could have lived without the imagery.

"Kankuro as a blonde is a disturbing image." He mutters and Gina laughs, nodding her head in agreement.

"You know that you are the only one that I love that way." She assures him and touches his cheek affectionately, before penning her response.

 **Dear Naruto,**

 **It is wonderful to hear from you, as always. I wish you luck on your speech for the graduation ceremony. I doubt that you will require it though. The children will likely be overjoyed at merely seeing you. You are a war hero after all.**

 **Sasuke is…behaving himself as much as he ever does. If he begins to get out of line, I merely use the sandcuffs on him. I find that I get compliance out of him faster this way.**

 **His skin is adjusting to the climate. Sasuke still applies suntan lotion quite liberally to prevent the worst of the burns. (Sunburns are a most unpleasant experience, so I am told.)**

 **Occasionally, he does get me flowers. Though he prefers to give me more unconventional gifts when the mood strikes him. Sasuke has never been one to follow social norms, but he still manages to express he cares for me in his own unique way. He is extremely attentive.**

 **He smiles sometimes. His smirk is more common though. But that is just part of who he is. I can not wait to see you either, my friend. Oh and Sasuke requests that you stop signing your letters, love Naruto. He is a jealous bastard sometimes.**

 **Sincerely, Gina.**

"I am so not jealous." Sasuke protests and the red head just shakes her head in amusement as she sends the letter off with a messenger hawk.

"Yes, you aren't jealous and I'm really a blonde." She says.

"Have I ever told you that I find your sarcasm incredibly sexy?" Sasuke asks.

"You may have mentioned it in pa-SSING!" Gina starts to reply and then yells when Sasuke sits on her spinning chair with her and they go sliding as he kisses her.

She smiles into the kiss and wraps her arms around his neck. The red head would never get tired of his touch, she mused. It still felt just as electric now as it did the first time they had kissed.

"Good. Didn't you mention something about wanting to visit Temari today?" Sasuke asks after he breaks the kiss.

"I can't believe I forgot! Yes. She should be able to receive visitors now." Gina says and gestures for Sasuke to get off of her, so she could get up.

Temari had given birth to a son just a few days ago. The blonde had insisted that he be born in the Sand. Shikamaru of course had said it would be too much of a drag to argue with her, so he had granted her request.

"I'll go with you." Sasuke offers and Gina smiles, heading off with her lover to see her sister.

"Gina! It's so good to see you. Come look at your nephew! Isn't he perfect?" Temari asks smugly.

The red head smiles and walks over to her sister's bedside. Shikamaru was on the other side. She could see the baby was wrapped in a white blanket and not much else. So she goes to get a closer look.

"He looks almost exactly like Shikamaru, though he's certainly got your eyes and nose." She observes.

"I'm just glad the actual delivery is over. Temari nearly killed me a couple times there." Shikamaru says with a heavy sigh.

Sasuke pat pats him on the back consolingly. He knew that women could be quite aggressive during childbirth and Temari was feisty normally. The last Uchiha was positive the wind user had come up with some rather creative threats during labor.

"Do you want to hold him?" Temari asks Gina.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not really good with fragile. I don't want to accidentally hurt him." The Kazekage says and Sasuke notes her panicked expression.

"Gina, he's a baby. He's not a rattlesnake that is going to bite you." Shikamaru reassures her.

Gina shoots Sasuke a _help me_ look. He strides over to her and wraps his arms around his red head. He nods at Shikamaru in a way that told him to do it. The lazy ninja gently places his son in the red head's arms.

"Make sure to support his neck. They don't have any control over it in the beginning." Shikamaru advises.

"Alright." She says feeling a bit more confident since Sasuke was behind her, surely he'd intervene if something went wrong.

Temari nods encouragingly at Gina. Honestly, she didn't really understand why the red head was so terrified of holding a baby. But at least this was progress.

"He's so little." Gina muses.

"Yes, babies tend to be little." Shikamaru states in amusement.

Gina glances at the clock. She frowns. Damn she was going to be late for that meeting with the Council if she didn't hurry. She gently hands her nephew back to Temari.

"Sorry. I completely forgot that I have a meeting with the Council today. It has been one of those days where I am forgetting all sorts of things. He's perfect, Temari. He'll make a fine ninja one day." She says as she heads off, giving Sasuke a quick kiss on the cheek before she does so.

"You should get some rest. I'll take him to the maternity ward. Sasuke, do you want to give me a hand and open the door for me?" Shikamaru says to his wife and asks his friend.

Sasuke nods. He goes and gets the door for the new father and follows him. Shikamaru lays his son down in one of the beds.

"I saw that look in your eye. Have you spoken to Gina about your desire for children?" Shikamaru inquires.

"Once. Briefly. It was awhile ago. Our relationship was still new then. I mean it's still new. We haven't been together a year yet, but it's more…established now." Sasuke mutters.

Shikamaru nods. He could see that this was going to be an issue sooner or later. Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan. Gina was at best skittish of children and at worst outright terrified that she might accidentally hurt them. It wasn't that the red head didn't like kids, it was that she didn't trust herself around them.

"You might want to broach the subject again with her. You do have an excuse now." Shikamaru offers.

"Yeah. I won't push her if she's not comfortable with the idea. I wouldn't do that to her. I love her. I just want…you know…" Sasuke trails off.

"You want a family. It's only natural after everything that you've been through. Gina knew when she got involved with you that you wanted to restore your Clan one day. It's not exactly going to come as a shock to her you want kids." He reasons.

"Yeah. I just don't want to scare her away with it. I'm happy with her. She's happy with me. I feel like I'm…tempting fate. I'm asking for too much. I already have far more than I deserve." The Sand ninja confesses.

Shikamaru shakes his head. He places his hand on his friend's shoulder. Sasuke still felt guilt over his deserting the Leaf Village and being a Criminal Ninja. God only knows what he had done before he was redeemed. But the cloud lover didn't care.

He was a different person now. And while the Kazekage and last Uchiha were perhaps the most unexpected match ever, it was clear they were devoted to each other. He had no doubts that the other man was sincere in his desire for a family and loved his Sister-In-Law completely.

"Don't speak like that. You are deserving. You fell off the right path for awhile. But you pulled yourself back up. Do you hold murders that Gina committed against her while she had the demon?" He inquires.

"No. Of course not! She wasn't in control of herself." Sasuke replies stunned that Shikamaru would ask him that.

"Then apply that logic to yourself. You weren't in control of yourself. You gave into your desire for revenge and it took you to a very dark place. But you pulled yourself out of it. Enjoy the light while it lasts. Most people don't get this second chance. You should make the most of it." Shikamaru advises him.

Sasuke wanted to argue that it wasn't the same. Gina had been a baby in the womb when that demon was implanted in her. How was she ever supposed to defend herself from it's psychotic tendencies? She had never really had a chance.

He, on the other hand, had chosen the path of revenge. He had been fully aware of what he was doing at all times. He had never blacked out and committed atrocities because of there was an actual demon inside him. No, he had let his metaphorical demons control him completely and for a time he had reveled in it.

"And don't you even think about arguing with me. It'd be a drag to waste the energy to explain the obvious to you. I'd simply have Gina do it for me. You know what she would say." He warns him.

Sasuke smirks. He could only imagine the red head's reaction. It would likely lead to a rather intense "training" session. The kind that would end up with him having scars on his back. Her nails could be quite…vicious, but in a wonderfully wicked way.

"I guess you're right. I'll talk to her about it." Sasuke agrees.

"Good. I didn't sign up to be your relationship counselor by the way. You're gonna have to pay me if you want me to keep pointing out the obvious like this." He says with a smirk and walks off.

"Shikamaru? Thanks." Sasuke calls out and Shikamaru nods, heading off.

He smiles and looks at some of the newborns. Maybe he could "talk" Gina into it. He'd marry her before any children were born of course, if she'd say yes.

Sasuke wonders if she'd say yes. They were living together. They were sleeping together. They were…just together.

Gina struck him as the type of person who would think marriage was nothing but a formality. For all practical purposes, they were. Maybe she'd think it was silly. He'd ask anyway.

"That's really none of your concern." Gina hisses elsewhere in the Sand at the Council Meeting.

"It damn well is our concern. Your relationship with the Uchiha carries enormous importance as it pertains to this village. Imagine if the two of you have a quarrel. You could level this village to the ground!" One exclaims.

"We don't really quarrel and when we do, we make up quickly." She mutters.

"He must be a rather skilled lover to have made you forget who you are. You are the Kazekage! You aren't some random ninja who can give your heart freely. Who you choose to have as your consort impacts this village." A Councilwoman states.

Gina's sand begins to swirl around her in anger. How dare they speak to her as if she was a badly behaved child?! She had already considered all the implications of being in a relationship with Sasuke. She had considered them along before they were officially together.

"If you speak to me in such a fashion again, I will remind you why I was known as the Demon of the Sand. The Uchiha will be the least of your worries." She warns them.

"You see? He has already had changed your behavior. You were never this disrespectful before you became his lover." Another says.

"Quiet. All of you are being enormously disrespectful to our Lady Kazekage. If she kills you, the public will take her side because of her role in the war. And in case it has escaped your notice, the Five Nations thinks this is some sort of fairytale. If you try to come between them, it will create an enormous backlash in the court of public opinion." Still another says.

"Thank you. But my relationship is not up for debate. I love him. He loves me. If that bothers any of you, you are welcome to renounce your citizenship to the Sand Village, because I will not tolerate disloyalty." She mutters and walks off.

She heads home and sees Sasuke was already there. The red head tries to hide her disgust at the Council. But unfortunately, there were drawbacks to having an perceptive lover. For example, he noticed when she was angry, even when she tried to hide it. That was…unfortunate at the moment.

"Gina?" He asks and walks over to her.

He could feel her fury. It was hard to articulate this. But he could swear he could almost taste it in the very air.

"It's nothing important." She says and Sasuke tilts her face up so she had to look him in the eye.

"For a Kage, you are a horrible liar. What happened?" He demands.

She tries to turn her head away from him. Damn it. Now she was going to have to explain what happened and he would be just as furious as she was. And Sasuke had extremely low impulse control. When he was angry, he never bothered to hide it. Things tended to get blown up or set aflame when he lost his temper.

"The Council decided to lecture me on my responsibilities as a Kage." She seethes.

"You're kidding me? The Sand's economy is better than it has ever been. You helped to lead the Allied forces and forge new alliances. For Godsakes, you even started an Academy and improved the hospital. What the fuck could they possibly have to lecture you about?" He asks in disbelief.

Gina sighs. He wasn't going to take this well. The red head places a kiss on his cheek and readies herself for the fallout.

"Not what the fuck, it's more like…who." She admits.

"They were lecturing you about me?" Sasuke asks and his eyes suddenly bleed red.

Uh oh. Gina knew what those red eyes meant when he wasn't feeling frisky. That was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

"Sasuke, calm yourself. Their opinion means nothing. I told them that they could leave the village, if they felt strongly enough about it. It just irritated me. I'm a grown woman and should be able to decide who I take to my bed without them commenting on it." She mutters.

"Yes, you should. I can't believe them. They waited six months to pull this?" He growls.

"Let's forget them." She says with a smile and takes his hand, leading him to their bedroom.

"Gina, they could prove very annoying…if they want to be." He argues.

"And I could be wearing that lacey black outfit you bought for me awhile back, underneath my robes." She says.

Sasuke blinks. Oh that was fighting really dirty. He had been trying to get her to wear that for MONTHS. He smirks. Screw the Council for the moment. He had more important things on his mind.

"Really?" He asks and pins her to the wall, nibbling on her ear.

"Mhm. Think of it as an anniversary present. It's been six months since you officially became a Sand ninja." She replies and shivers at the nibbling.

"I think I'm going to really enjoy our anniversaries if that's the case." Sasuke murmurs and Gina smiles.

Sasuke had definitely had enjoyed that night. He enjoyed every night with his red head. But damn, did she look good in that black lacey number and the stockings were a very nice touch. They had spent the night in each other's arms, completely forgetting the rest of their world in their passion.

A few days later, Gina returns from work and frowns when she doesn't see Sasuke in their room. He should have been back from the mission he'd been assigned for the day. She blinks when she notice a large scroll in the center of the bed. She unrolls it and reads the following message.

 _ **Gina, I have a surprise for you. Come to the bathroom. - Sasuke.**_

She raises an eyebrow. That was odd. She heads to the bathroom to see what the Hell her lover had up his sleeve.

"Sasuke?" She calls out a little uncertainly.

"Come join me." He says and the red head walks in to find her lover in a bubble bath.

She saw that red rose petals had been scattered all over the place. There were white scented candles lit. She was almost positive she saw some champagne in the background and were those chocolate strawberries in that box?

"You really went all out tonight." She states in amusement, stripping, getting into the water with him, and kissing him.

"Do you like it?" He asks.

"Mmm let's see. I have a very naked Uchiha in a bubble bath. I'm pretty sure this is the beginning of many women's fantasies. Of course I do. Oh and the roses and candles were a very nice touch by the way." She adds and sits in her lover's lap, smiling when felt one of his arms wrap around her.

"Good." He replies with a smile and she felt something placed on her neck.

Gina blinks. Her hands touch it. Oh a necklace. He'd gotten her a necklace. She smiles.

"Look a little closer." He whispers in her ear.

She looks down at the necklace and it was a golden chain and on that chain was a ring. A silver ring with a large ruby cut into the shape of a heart and two medium sized diamonds surrounded each size of it. But that had to be a wedding ring.

"Sasuke?" She asks in confusion.

"I'm asking if you want to marry me." He says and kisses her shoulder.

She blinks. He was proposing? Of course somehow he had given a wedding proposal while he was fucking naked. Only Sasuke would do something like that!

"Why? We are already living together. We are lovers. We share everything. It's a beautiful ring. It really is but…why?" She asks.

"Because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to make it official. Besides, just think how much It will infuriate the Council." He adds with a sly smile.

"I have to admit that last part is a bonus. Could we have a traditional wedding?" She asks.

"We can have whatever kind of wedding you want. Traditional is fine with me." He says and kisses her forehead.

"I mean traditional by my village's standards." She clarifies.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He didn't realize there was a difference between a traditional Sand wedding and a traditional Leaf one (or anywhere else.) He didn't care though. He was just happy she said yes.

"As I said, we can have whatever kind of wedding you want. So if you want a traditional Sand wedding, that's' what we'll have." He tells her.

"Good. Our weddings are better than the Leaf's." She says smugly.

"What did I just get myself into?" He murmurs as he caresses her cheek.

"You'll see." She replies with a sly smile.


	17. Chapter 17

The Color Red

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Hopefully you guys like this chapter and the wedding. =)

 **Viewer's Choice:** Would you guys like to see a drama/action chapter(s) or would you prefer this story continue being almost purely a romantic comedy?

Chapter 17

"You're kidding. He agreed to a traditional wedding? Does he even know what that entails?" Temari asks when she and Gina were alone in her office.

"I don't believe so. He said whatever I wanted and that's what I wanted." She says, feeling rather pleased with herself.

Temari shakes her head in amusement. It was very likely that Sasuke had no idea what he had agreed to. She wondered how the Uchiha would react when he found what Gina meant by a traditional wedding.

"You just want to see him shirtless in those leather pants, while those drums are beating." She says in amusement

"I'll admit that does play a role in it. But I do think it's nice to honor our village's tradition and honestly, all the fluff of a normal wedding doesn't appeal to me. I don't see the point in flowers, ring bearers, bridal showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and all the fuss about what type of china we should use. It seems a waste of energy." She says with a shrug.

"Mhm well I can't blame you. I have seen that man shirtless. I'm amazed you ever bother to leave the bedroom or office really. You definitely landed yourself a hottie. I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding." The blonde offers.

Gina nods. She was sure it would be to. Alright, so maybe the Sand's versions of weddings were more primal. But Sasuke had said anything that she wanted, surely he would indulge her. He had never gone back on his word so far in their relationship.

"Can he shoot an arrow?" Temari asks.

"Mhm. He's done it with his chakra. So I know he can manage a regular bow and arrow." She replies.

"Ah well that's always good. So have you thought about where you are going to have your Honeymoon?" Her sister asks.

"Sasuke says it's a surprise. I'm not sure what he's planning. But as I'm choosing what kind of wedding we are having, it's only fair he gets to select the Honeymoon location. It matters little to me. I doubt we are going to leave our room much anyway." Gina says.

"The sex is that good, huh?" Temari asks and Gina nods her head rather empathetically, causing her sister to laugh.

Meanwhile Sasuke had met up with Shikamaru and Naruto. Since Shikamaru had married another Sand Villager, Sasuke thought he might have some clue as to what constituted a traditional wedding in this village. He blinks when the other man answers his question.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

"Whoa. The Sand really is exotic when it comes to weddings." Naruto marvels.

Well at least he knew how to figure off a bow, so that wasn't an issue. The outfit sounded like it could be a little embarrassing. Her outfit though, well that sounded _interesting_ to say the least. He was surprised at the inclusion of war paint at a fucking wedding though. And oh yeah, there were a couple of other curveballs.

"Yeah. Why would you agree to it, if you didn't know what it involved?" Shikamaru asks.

"I wanted to make her happy. I thought maybe the food would be different or something. I didn't expect it to be this… _primal._ Doesn't matter though. I'd do anything for her and none of it is that outrageous. Just…unusual." He mutters.

"I'm going to take lots of pictures! I can't wait to see your ass in THAT outfit." Naruto snickers and Sasuke whacks him on the back of the head.

Naruto glares at Sasuke for that one. He doesn't protest though. He figured the bastard was just nervous. The blonde couldn't believe his two best friends were actually getting married!

"Shocked you actually worked up the nerve to ask her marry you, scaredy-cat." The blue eyed ninja taunts him.

"I'm sorry, what was that loser? I'm not the one that is too scared to ask Karin to marry me. You know she's going to say yes." Sasuke taunts him right back.

Shikamaru sighs. Some things would truly never change. Sasuke and Naruto would always fight like cats and dogs. It didn't matter how old they got. It was just how they expressed their friendship.

"How's the Council taking it?" Shikamaru asks.

"Don't know. Don't care." Sasuke replies.

Two weeks later, the big day had arrived. Sasuke couldn't believe he had to actually wear this. He was shirtless and wearing leather pants that supposedly were made from buffalos. He also had a rather long feather that had been woven into his hair and was sliding down the left side of his face, an eagle's feather.

"It seems kinda cruel to kill the eagle and buffalo just to have a wedding." Sasuke mutters.

"Oh they didn't. They used to in the old days, but now they just wait for feathers to fall to the ground as the birds fly over head and for the bulls to die of old age. It's all very humane now." Shikamaru states.

"Well that's good!" Naruto says.

They head off to the oasis in the desert. Apparently, the Sand Villagers were extremely fond of symbolism. To them, the oasis symbolized love. A respite from the harsh environment that they lived in.

It was the dead of night. There was a full moon and a starry sky. A bonfire was raging. So it might as well have been the middle of the day because it was so well lit. There were hundreds of Sand Villagers present, Shikamaru, and Naruto were present. It seemed no one wanted to miss the Kazekage's wedding. This was truly a once in a lifetime event.

"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Gina Sabaku, our Lady Kazekage, and Sasuke Uchiha. If anyone has any objections to this match, speak now or forever hold your tongue." A man says, who Sasuke assumed was some sort of priest judging by his colorful robes.

"WE OBJECT MOST STRONGLY! This union will only bring disaster upon our village and nation!" The council members all shout together, save for one.

Sasuke hurls at fireball at the elders. He delighted in how terrified they looked. The Sand Villagers were now looking rather perky at the prospect of a good fight. (Sand Villagers apparently had a motto, they loved drama as long as they weren't involved in it.)

"Your objections are noted. However they carry no weight here." Gina says and suddenly gags made out of sand appear on every one of the Council Member's mouths, save for the only one who hadn't objected.

Sasuke smirks and bounds over to his lover. God, he loved this woman. It was also nice that her sand was so versatile, gags? Those would have come in handy when he was an Academy student and a Genin. That might have actually shut Naruto up.

"I love you." He whispers into her ear and she smiles.

"I love you to. There is nothing that would stop me from marrying you. They shall simply have to learn to live with it." She replies.

It was then that Sasuke noticed her outfit. The red head was wearing a leather top that could scarcely be described as more than a bra. It flattered the fair skin of her ample breasts nicely though. Her entire stomach and most of her back was exposed. She was wearing a rather long skirt that came to her knees. It was made out of nearly every type of bird feather imaginable. Truly, the skirt was quite…colorful. And oddly, erotic in a primitive way.

Sasuke felt someone place something in his hand. He looks and notes it was a bow and a quiver of arrows. Someone else gestured to a flaming hoop. It was apparent he was expected to fire off an arrow into it.

"The four elements are a critical part in our culture. Fire symbolizes passion." She whispers to him.

Sasuke smirks. He glances at her in that little feather outfit again, yeah they definitely had passion. He approved of the inclusion of fire for that reason and because it was so closely associated with his Clan. He fires off an arrow into the hoop and the Sand Villagers burst into applause.

"You are a good shot. My turn." Gina says and she forms a bow and arrow out of her sand.

"That is so cheating." Sasuke mutters in amusement.

"It is not." She says and fires it off into the hoop and more cheers erupt when it sails through effortlessly.

"What's next?" He asks.

"Earth. It symbolizes loyalty." She says and a two bowls are brought to them, inside was the war paint which apparently counted as earth because it was made from natural materials.

He raises an eyebrow. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what they were supposed to do with it. Gina smiles and dips her hand into the red paint and traces a heart over where his heart was.

Now he understood. Sasuke copies what Gina did. Though his hand lingered a little longer over her breasts than was necessary. Some of the Sand Villagers definitely picked up on this as there were some rather…"encouraging remarks," called out.

"Next is water. Water is life. We will be bound together for life." She says and holds up a cup of water to his lips.

Sasuke got that he was supposed to drink from the cup. He does so and then holds it out for Gina. She also drinks.

"What about air?" He asks.

"Air is for joy and symbolizes how love gives the heart wings. That is why we have the feathers and what the dance is for." She says, holding out her hand to him, and suddenly drums begin to beat.

There was something utterly hypnotic about the drum beats and dancing with the red head under the moonlit sky. It almost felt like he was dreaming. He smiles and twirls Gina, causing her skirt to spin around her rather quickly in a surreal, but beautiful display.

Gina smiles. She knew it was childish, but she liked displaying her lover in this way. Sasuke was hers. Was it wrong to feel a bit smug when everyone saw what a gorgeous husband she had? Probably. It was childish, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it all the same.

"When the gong is struck the third time, you are supposed to kiss me and then we are considered married." She tells him.

"What gong?" He asks curiously as he sways to the drum beat with his lover, reveling in the feeling of holding her in his arms against his chest as they did so.

He got his answer when he noticed a rather large one in the center of the oasis. Someone strikes it once hard. There was a fairly long pause. Then it was struck again. Another long pause. Finally, it was hit for a third time and Sasuke wasted no time in spinning Gina around and capturing her lips with his own.

Gina returns his kiss eagerly. He smiles into it and grabs her by the ass, lifting her up slightly to bring her closer to him. The Uchiha couldn't resist gliding his tongue along hers in a seductive dance that the two of them had perfected in their time together.

"Mmm." She moans into the kiss and her tongue soon joins his in the carnal dance, much the delight of the wedding guests.

"Lots of fire in that marriage. By the power invested in me by the Sand Village and the Wind Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife!" The Priest says and cheers erupt.

"You know, I think I have to agree. I like your version better. I also really like your outfit." He whispers hotly into her ear and nibbles on it.

"Mmm I told you that our version was better and I'm glad you like it. You look very handsome underneath the moonlight and covered in war paint." She replies and lets out a soft sigh of pleasure at the attention.

The rest of the night was spent dancing, eating, and enduring the well wishes of their guests. Some of who were offering "helpful" advice. Sasuke blinks. Yeah Sand Villagers weren't shy. A few of the older couples were even offering tips about which positions were supposedly more likely to result in conception. (Some of them believed they even knew which positions would give them daughters and which would give them sons.)

"Your people definitely aren't shy." Sasuke says to Gina as they leave the wedding.

"The Sand Village isn't the Leaf. We don't believe that sexuality is something to be embarrassed about. It is simply a fact of life. As long as it is consensual, as your village would say… _Anything goes."_ She informs him.

"Yeah. I've noticed that." Sasuke smirks as they head off toward the carriage.

He helps Gina get into it. Sasuke pays the driver and gets in after her. He shuts the door and they take off. They wave to the people as the carriage begins its journey, with people throwing rice at them as the carriage races past the crowd.

"It is a nice carriage." She muses as she sits down on the cushioned seat and enjoys the cool air inside it.

"Mhm. I figured that this would be more comfortable than traveling in the desert. Oh and this way it will still be a surprise where we are going for our Honeymoon." He says smugly.

Gina laughs. She shakes her head in amusement and sits in his lap. The red head lays her head on his shoulder and smiles when he wraps his arms around her.

"The wind jutsu to keep the carriage cool was a nice touch. I'm fortunate to have married someone who plans ahead in such a fashion." She murmurs.

"Yes, you are. And I'm fortunate to have married someone who looks so good in a leather bra." He smirks and reaches behind her to unclasps it.

"It's not a bra. This is the ceremonial top for a Sand Village Wedding." She protests.

Sasuke gives her a look. He didn't need to say what he was thinking, it was written all over his face plain as day. _"It's a bra."_

"Well you look beautiful in your _ceremonial top."_ Sasuke teases her and tugs it off of her.

 **Warning Lemon**

Gina blushes slightly. Sasuke smirks and caresses her breasts. His eyes turn from obsidian black to ruby red with desire. Gina, in his mind, had the body of a goddess.

It always felt so good when he touched her. His touch was gentle, yet rough at the same time. She figured that holding lightning in his hands so many times had caused the roughness. But she liked it, it always excited her to know that her lover was capable of holding such a powerful element just as easily as he was able to caress her. The slight edge of danger made her body hum with desire.

"Thank you." She sighs in pleasure when she felt his hands glide his back in a sensual massage.

The red head leans over and places butterfly kisses along the pale column of his throat and sucks on his collarbone. She nips lightly, knowing that her lover's neck was extremely sensitive. The Kazekage smirks when she heard him groan.

"Tease." He murmurs and slides his hands lower, underneath her skirt.

Sasuke was aware that Gina had no issue exploiting his sexual "Achilles Heel." There were very few things that made his Sharingan activate faster than her lips and teeth against his neck. And she knew it, the damn tease.

He fully expected to feel her panties. Sasuke expected to feel lace, silk, satin, velvet, or some type of fabric. He felt nothing but the warmth of her skin. He blinks.

"It's another wedding custom of ours. When we get married in the Sand, we prefer there are as few barriers between each other as possible." She explains.

"Have I mentioned, how much I love this village?" He smirks and cups her in the palm of his hand, rubbing her.

Gina moans. She would have responded to that. She really would have. But it felt so good. Her brain could only process how good it felt to be touched by him there and that she wanted more.

"Y-es." She pant out and gets off of his lap, so that she could tug off his pants.

"Someone's eager." He murmurs, pulling her back onto his lap and kissing her hotly, his hands pushing the feather skirt off of her.

"It seems that I am not the only one." She replies and takes him into his hand, drawing a lustful groan from her new husband.

"I'd be an idiot, if I wasn't." He says, brushing his thumb against her clit and sliding two fingers inside her hot, tight, wet heat.

Gina moans and kisses his neck once more. She runs her other hand along his muscular chest, reveling in the feeling of his muscles underneath her fingertips. Her other hand continues teasing his erection.

There was nothing more erotic than seeing Sasuke's ruby red eyes cloud in desire, hearing him moan in desire, and feeling his skin against her own. She rocks her hips and tries to encourage him to move his fingers faster inside her.

"So needy." He pants out and flicks his tongue against a tightened nipple teasingly before sucking on it lightly and teasing her faster with his talented hands.

"Sasuke, if you don't give me what I want, I will just sandcuffs you and take it." She warns him.

He smirks. Sasuke liked it when she threatened him. It was _cute_ in a way. He slides his fingers out of her and pulls his wife closer to him before moving her hand and burying himself inside her to the hilt, causing them both to moan.

Hot, tight, and wet. Sasuke knew that he would never be able to articulate how GOOD it felt to be joined with her like this. Before Gina, largely any physical activity was associated with either achievement or pain. He didn't know that his body was capable of feeling so good, he felt like he was flying.

"Nhh!" She moans and tries her best to match her lover's pace by riding him.

Every time he thrust inside her. He hit THAT spot. The one that made her see stars behind herself and moan in bliss. Her toes curl in pleasure and she could feel her own release building towards her.

She felt him grab her hips and guide her to match his pace. Gina didn't mind this gesture of dominance. It felt too good to argue and she screams in bliss when her orgasm hit her hard and fast, like a sandstorm.

Sasuke watches as his wife writhes in pleasure against him. The sight of her bouncing up and down on his arousal, her back arched in pleasure, her naked breasts jiggling from the force of their trusts, cries of passion, and the feeling of being inside her, was too much. He came hard with a roar. He slides out of his wife and wraps her tightly in his arms, enjoying being close to her after their lovemaking.

 **End of Lemon**

"Next time you decide to wear nothing underneath your skirt, let me know. I think I could get used to that." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Pervert." She murmurs and cuddles into him.

"Only for you. I love you." He tells her and kisses the top of her head, holding her closely as they both came down from the high of their release.

Gina smiles. She could stay like this forever. Just the two of them. This was all she needed, to be with her most precious person.

"Damn it!" Sasuke mutters after awhile.

"What's wrong?" Gina asks in concern, looking up at him.

"We…forgot to use the jutsu. I'm sorry. It's just that you were wearing a leather bra and that skirt…" He trails off.

"It wasn't a bra! It was a ceremonial top! And it's alright." She says.

Sasuke tilts his head. Normally, she'd have a look of panic on her face, if they forgot to use the jutsu. (Which they hadn't done since the beginning of their relationship.)

He wanted children. But he wasn't evil enough to get her pregnant without her consent on purpose. So he had been careful with his lover.

"Really? I thought you….wanted to use it?" He asks in confusion.

She bites her lower lip. The red head wasn't exactly sure how to say this. But she had to at least try.

"I did at first. But I know how much you want children. I love you and want to make you happy. Besides, I've thought about it. The idea of there being living proof of our love, is appealing to me. I won't lie. I'm still scared that something might go wrong, but I have you with me. So that makes it less terrifying." She whispers and looks up at him.

"Gina, if you aren't ready, we can wait." He tells her.

"I know. I want to though." She murmurs and leans into him more.

Sasuke smiles and kisses her. Gina kisses back. It would be worth the pain of childbirth, she decided. Just seeing him smile like that would be worth it.

"I love you and I promise you won't regret this." Sasuke says after breaking the kiss.

"I love you to. Hopefully, you aren't going to be too overprotective though." She murmurs.

"Define overprotective." He says.

"Chaining me to the bed while I'm pregnant to make sure nothing happens to me or the baby." Gina replies.

"Hmm well that isn't a bad idea. I'd make sure it was a very comfortable bed. Only the finest silk and fluffy pillows of course and I'm sure that we could find a way to pass the time." He whispers and nibbles on her ear.

"Sasuke, I'm a Kage." She reminds him.

"I know. I'm sure our child will be very proud to have a mother who is a Kage. What does that have to do with chaining you to the bed though?" Her husband inquires.

"I have WORK to do. I can't just lay around in bed for nine months, no matter how tempting that does sound." The Kazekage protests.

"Doesn't the Sand have maternity leave?" He asks.

"Well from active combat duty yes. But most of my work is more administrative in nature. I delegate field work." She says.

"I'll just sit in your spinning chair and you can sit on my lap, while you work. That way I can watch you and make sure the both of you are safe." He reasons.

"I've created a monster…an overprotective monster, who just happens to be a sex fiend." She muses.

"Eh blame the leather bra." Sasuke says.

"FOR THE FINAL TIME, IT IS A CEREMONIAL TOP!" She growls at him.

"Whatever you say, my love." Sasuke replies with a smirk and kisses her forehead.


	18. Chapter 18

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Unfortunately, the reviews are glitching again. I am getting most of them in my emails though. They'll show up whenever the site fixes the glitch. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Most likely drama will start next chapter.

Chapter 18

Gina was quite content to enjoy the carriage ride with her husband. It was interesting to see the desert slowly morph into grasslands and then eventually into a snowy mountainous region. They had been traveling for days. The carriage would stop at night and they would take occasional breaks to eat. But other than that it was continuous. Wherever Sasuke was taking her for their Honeymoon, it was far away from the Sand Village.

"Sasuke, are you going to tell me where we are going now?" She asks from her position in his lap.

"We're almost there. So alright. The Land of Iron. I wanted to go somewhere far enough away that most people would recognize us. Besides, the mountains are quite beautiful in a feral way." He murmurs.

"The Three Wolves." She murmurs when she saw the three mountains that symbolized they had reached the Land of Iron.

Sasuke nods and they are driven up one of mountains. When they arrive, he helps his new wife out of the carriage and grabs their belongings. Sasuke pays the driver, who makes a comment that makes Sasuke smirk.

"What did he say to you?" Gina asks.

"He says we were the most…vigorous in our lovemaking of all the newlywed couples that he has driven." Sasuke answers and Gina's face turns as red as her hair.

That was truly embarrassing. The driver had heard them. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement at her reaction.

"He often drives newlyweds. Trust me, he's used to it. I gave him a large tip to make sure he doesn't mention it to anyone. Come on, let's get you inside. I know you aren't used to this type of cold." Sasuke says and laces his fingers with her own, before gently guiding her inside the hotel.

She smiles once they were inside. Their room was beautiful. There was a roaring stone fireplace inside it. A canopy bed was in the center of it. It had white sheets, pillows, and blankets. All of which were made of silk. The carpet was made of red velvet and the walls were made of gray stone. A bathroom was connected to the room and there was a large wardrobe.

"I'm really happy about the fireplace." She murmurs.

"Oh don't worry, I'll keep you warm either way." Sasuke promises and kisses the back of her neck.

"You do make a rather sexy blanket." She whispers with amusement and moans when he bites down on her neck lightly.

"I do aim to please." He says and nibbles on her ear.

A few days later and Gina pants, trying to catch her breath as she cuddles into Sasuke's naked chest. His stamina was _incredible,_ as was his creativity. The red head was sure there likely wasn't a single hard surface that they hadn't made love on. Bed, shower, kitchen countertop, kitchen table, the wall, couch, or even once on the rug…to Sasuke location didn't seem to matter.

She smiles and brushes his bangs out of his eyes. He had finally fallen asleep. It was a good thing she was an insomniac or she never would have been able to keep up with him. Her body was practically humming with satisfaction. If she was a cat, Gina knew she would be purring.

"Mmm." He murmurs in his sleep and Gina smiles, tracing the heart painted on his chest.

That war paint was a BITCH to get off. It was slowly starting to fade after multiple showers, but was being quite stubborn. Gina didn't mind. It was just a remember that they were bound together forever now, in a way they hadn't been before.

It was odd. The Kazekage was aware that most women dreamed of their wedding day from the time they were very young. She never had. It hadn't occurred to her that someone would ever love her, so why bother thinking about a wedding? Even after she and Sasuke became lovers, the thought hadn't entered her mind. Now glance at the mark on his chest and the ring on his finger, she was glad it had entered his.

"When did I get so possessive?" She muses to herself.

She found she LIKED seeing that ring on him. It told any other woman who dared to look at her lover that he was taken. The red head was amused and a little terrified at how territorial she had become over him.

Gina smiles. She knew it was returned though. Sasuke had gotten annoyed just at how Naruto signed his letters. They were possessive of each other, that just meant they cared.

"Lady Kazekage?" A maid calls out from behind the door.

The young Kage quickly throws on her robes and makes sure the blankets were firmly wrapped around Sasuke, before going to answer the door. She greets the maid. The other woman informs her that the leader of the Samurais wanted to speak with her.

"Tell him I shall meet him in the dining room in a few moments." She says and the Iron maiden nods, heading off to do so.

She quickly writes a note for Sasuke, before heading out to meet with the Iron leader. The red head felt a bit uneasy. She had no idea what he could want. Did he still hold a grudge from the war against Sasuke?

"Lady Kazekage. It is good to see you. I am sorry to disturb you on your honeymoon. But I am afraid I may have potentially troubling news." He greets her.

"That doesn't sounds promising. Tell me, what is causing you to be so concerned." She replies.

"It seems a couple of ANBUS were spotted following your wedding carriage here. We believe they may have been after Sasuke or perhaps the Leaf is not the ally you think it is and you were the target." He states.

Gina blinks. He wasn't seriously suggesting that the Leaf Village would try to assassinate her, was he? But the Sand and Leaf were allies. The best of allies. Naruto was her best friend. No, he'd never sanction such a thing.

"I can see your skepticism, My Lady. I understand it. But perhaps it wasn't Naruto who ordered the attack. Someone else might have done it without his awareness. He is a very trusting person. Sometimes I fear he is a little too trusting." The Iron leader continues.

"Yes, you have given me much to think about. Thank you for making me aware of this situation. I need to talk to my husband about this. I'm not sure what their objective was in following us. They could be trying to kill one or both of us. Perhaps they were simply trying to gather intelligence." She murmurs as she ponders the many possibilities in her head.

Meanwhile Sasuke wakes up. He frowns when he doesn't feel Gina in his arms. But he does feel a slip of paper. He reads it.

 _ **Dear Sasuke,**_

 _ **When I awoke this morning, a maid came to see me. The leader of the Land of Iron wished to speak with me. I didn't wish to wake you. You looked so peaceful in your slumber. I will be back soon.**_

 _ **Love, Gina**_

"Wonder what he wants." He muses.

It could just be a standard greeting. It wasn't every day that a Kage came to the Land of Iron. He might just feel like it would be rude not to personally greet her. Or it could be more. The more part worried him.

They had been focused almost solely on each other for well over a week. Sasuke liked it that way. Their day largely consisted of making love, caressing each other, training, or discussing whatever popped into their minds. (The topics varied all the way from politics and ninja business down to more "frivolous" topics such as their favorite foods.)

"Might as well hop in the shower, while I wait." He mutters and does exactly that.

He smirks. Sasuke would never look at showers in the same way again. Shower sex was definitely becoming a favorite kink of his. It was nice to be able corner her and just pin her against the wall. A soaking wet Kazekage was a glorious sight to behold as well. Yeah, he had gained a new appreciation for showers.

"That's better." He murmurs enjoying the feeling of the hot water agains this skin.

Gina wanted a child with him. Well maybe wanted was stretching it slightly. She wanted a child with him to make him happy and to have physical evidence of their commitment to each other. He still thought she was likely skittish about the concept of motherhood in general.

His red head definitely enjoyed the process that led to making babies though. So that was a plus. He was sure once their son or daughter arrived, that instinct would take over. It was only natural she'd suffer from a lack of confidence in some ways.

"Damn her father." He says to himself.

If her father hadn't implanted the One Tails inside her, the village never would have treated her as a monster. If that hadn't happened, he was sure she wouldn't be worried about accidentally hurting their child. Well there was nothing he could do about the past now. He'd just focus on the future. Sasuke would focus on Gina and their family.

"Sasuke?" Gina calls out as she walks back into their room.

The young Kage frowns when she didn't receive a response. That's when she heard the shower running. She smiles and heads into the bathroom.

"Sorry. Guess I didn't hear you over the water." He tells her.

"It's fine. One can hardly argue with the view." She replies with a sly smile and Sasuke beckons her to join him.

Hmm. She knew that she had something important to tell him. But the sight of a naked Sasuke in the shower was very distracting. Wait, she knew what she had to tell him. She mentally scolds herself forgetting.

"Come join me." He says and his eyes turn from obsidian black to ruby red.

She shivers. Gina had been Sasuke's lover for months now. The red head was well aware of what an activated Sharingan meant in this context. It was tempting. Really tempting. But she had to focus.

"I want to. But I can't. There's something I have to tell you." She says.

Sasuke frowns. That definitely wasn't like her. She'd never turned down sex before. If that wasn't a cause for alarm, he didn't know what was.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"The Iron leader just informed me that there were two ANBUS following our wedding carriage. We must have been too caught up in each other to have noticed them. Leaf ANBU." She mutters.

Sasuke blinks. He turns off the shower and quickly steps out of it. The Uchiha uses a fire jtusu to dry off and tosses on his clothes. Leaf ANBU had been following their wedding carriage? But why? It didn't make any sense.

"What else did he say?" He demands to know, his voice suddenly serious.

"He thinks they might have been trying to assassinate you or maybe even me." She answers.

"HE WHAT?!" Sasuke roars.

"Don't blame him. It's just his theory. It does look bad. I'm more concerned about you, than me. The Leaf and the Sand have been strong allies since the war. It wouldn't make sense to attack a Kage who is friendly to them. But there are still people out there who haven't forgiven you. Someone could have ordered a hit without Naruto's knowledge." She explains.

Sasuke tries to bite back a snarl of rage. Things were going so perfectly. He had married the only woman he ever loved and they were going to start a family. He'd even assimilated fairly successfully into the Sand Village. And now, someone wanted to kill Gina or him?! What right did they have to interfere?!

"If they followed us here. They probably knew our traveling plans. We should pack and leave now. You'll be safer in the Sand. There are more people and we know the terrain better." He replies.

"I will inform him that we are leaving early and pay the clerk, if you will pack?" She asks and Sasuke nods.

Gina heads off. She makes her way to the desk and pays for their stay. Then she finds the leader of the Samurai.

"We are going to leave now. It seems safer. It's likely they know what our traveling plans were. This may confuse them. Thank you, for warning us again. You are a true friend. The Sand will not forget your loyalty." She says with a smile.

"Of course, Lady Kazekage. I believe you are making a wise decision. Your safety comes first." He replies.

Gina nods. She soon returns to Sasuke's side. He leads her outside. He had summoned his giant hawk.

"Sasuke, what is that?" She asks.

"One of my summons. It's faster than the carriage and I doubt they can hit him as high up as he can fly." He explains.

Gina blinks. She wasn't entirely certain how safe it was to ride a massive bird. Sasuke saw her hesitation and got onto the massive avian.

"It's perfectly safe. I'd never let anything happen to you. Don't tell me you are scared of heights. I have seen how high up you go on your sand." He teases her.

"It's not heights exactly. It's more the fact I'm not sure if the bird really wants to fly two people on his back." She says and cautiously takes his hand, getting on the bird and sitting in front of her husband.

Sasuke places a kiss to her cheek and wraps his arms around her waist comfortingly. It would be funny, if he didn't feel bad. His red head looked more than a little terrified.

"It's alright. He's my Summon. He'll do exactly as I say. Garuda, take us back to the Sand Village." He orders the hawk and the enormous bird takes off.

Gina leans back into Sasuke's chest. She always felt safer when she was nestled in his arms. She knew she was being ridiculous. Sasuke wouldn't summon anything that he couldn't control completely. But she couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw how high up they were. What if the bird suddenly bulked?

A few days later, they arrived back in the Sand. When they land, Gina jumps off. Sasuke chuckles and joins her on the ground.

"I didn't realize you were such a scaredy-cat." He teases his wife and kisses her forehead.

"I am not. I just don't like riding an animals from thousands of feet in air." She huffs.

"I'm only teasing you. I know you are brave. Otherwise why would you marry a former S Class Criminal and the next Madara?" He asks rather sarcastically.

She lightly swats him for that comment. Sasuke smile and wraps his arm around her waist as they head back to their home. The people in the Sand begin to cheer once they see their Lady Kazekage and the Uchiha had returned.

It was odd, but almost everyone had adopted Gina's former "nickname" for Sasuke. Now that he was married to the red head, most people had decided he was safe now. He had been accepted into the Sand Village as one of them, for the most part. (Of course the Council was the exception, but Sasuke didn't give a fuck about them.)

"Damn it." Gina mutters once they walk past her office.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks.

"That mountain of paperwork is going to take forever to get caught up with." She whines and Sasuke chuckles, kissing her.

"You are so adorable sometimes. Relax, you'll catch up. Maybe you should hire an assistant or something for times like these." He suggests.

Gina gives him a dirty look. Sasuke tries not to laugh. But it was just so _cute._ Uh oh. She was placing her hands on her hips. He was in trouble.

"I am perfectly capable of handling all my responsibilities as a Kage. I don't need an assistant!" She protests.

"Whatever you say." He replies with a smirk.

About two months later, Gina heads to see hospital. She had been getting sick lately. It wasn't like her to fall ill and especially not for this long. She had been vomiting off and on for about two weeks now.

She didn't want Sasuke to worry. So she decided to go to the doctor while he was out on a mission. The red head smiles at her doctor and explains the problem.

"Well Lady Kazekage, you're vitals are strong. Perhaps a chakra test would be best." He suggests.

Her medic was a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. He had kind green eyes. The Kage nods her head in consent and allows him to check her chakra.

"Congratulations, My Lady!" He says cheerfully after examining the results.

"Congratulations?" She asks in confusion, not understand the doctor's strange reaction to her chakra test results.

"You are pregnant. I'd say about eight weeks along. That must have been quite the enjoyable Honeymoon." He replies.

Gina felt her face heating up. Everyone knew that she and Sasuke were lovers now. They were married. But she still wasn't used to speaking about her relationship with him so openly.

She blinks when it finally sinks in. _She was pregnant! She was pregnant!_ Oh God, there was a baby growing inside her. Well alright technically she supposed it was considered an embryo at the moment, but still!

"I'm certain the Uchiha will be thrilled when you tell him. Congratulations, again!" He says and beams.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" She asks, not sure why that was the first thing that she inquired about.

Gina supposed it was the fact she was still in shock. That was why she asked. It didn't matter to her whether it was a boy or girl. Would it matter to Sasuke?

"Oh no. It's too early for that. You'll know soon enough. You must be so excited." He replies and Gina nods.

She was in shock. The red head mentally scolds herself for such a reaction. Of course she was pregnant. She and Sasuke had been intimate many times without using the Jutsu. It was only natural that she would conceive.

"Thank you. May I take the results with me to show Sasuke?" She inquires and the medic nods.

Gina heads home. She bites her lower lip. Sasuke wanted children. She wasn't sure why she was worried. But she was.

"Gina, you're home early. I made dinner." Sasuke says, when he saw his wife walk through the door.

"That was very sweet of you." She says and kisses his cheek.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Sweet wasn't a word that his wife used often. It was something of a tell. Whenever she spoke like that, he knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Nothing's wrong. But you may wish to sit down." She answers him.

Sasuke sits down. He watches her closely. What could have caused such a reaction in his wife.

"Do you love me?" She asks as she sits in his lap and Sasuke looked stunned at her question.

How could she possibly ask that? He had married her. They made love almost every night. He hadn't even looked at another woman while they were together. What could possibly make her doubt his love for her?

"Of course I do. You know that I do. Why would you even ask that?" He replies.

"I don't know. I think it's just hormones." She mumbles and Sasuke wraps his arms around her.

"What do you mean by hormones? What do hormones have to do with anything?" He inquires.

"I'm not good with words when it comes situations like these. I'll let the results speak for themselves." She says and hands him the sheet of paper that displayed her chakra tests results.

Sasuke looks at them curiously. She had been chakra tested? But why? Was she worried that she was sick or something went wrong with her chakra network?

That's when he saw it. His eyes scrolled to the bottom. Written in big bold red letters was the following. **Tested Positive for Pregnancy.**

"You're pregnant?" Sasuke asks in a stunned voice and Gina nods shyly.

Suddenly, Sasuke displays a dazzling smile. He stands up with her in his arms and spins her around excitedly. Gina giggles. She'd never seen anyone look so happy before.

"That's wonderful news!" Sasuke says as he continues spinning her around happily and kisses her.

Gina kisses back. She was enjoying basking in his attention. When suddenly she felt like she was going to be sick. She was going to be very, very sick.

"Sasuke, put me down. Mo-rning sickness!" She warns him and Sasuke wisely sets her down.

He set her down just in time. The Kazekage races towards the bathroom. She made it just in time. Soon enough, she empties all the contents of her stomach.

Sasuke follows after her. He dutifully holds her hair back. Once she was done, he pulls her into his arms and rubs her back soothingly.

"I love you and our baby. Don't worry, it's going to be okay." He whispers to her and she smiles.

Sasuke was practically radiating a joyful, smugness. She had never associated joy with smugness. But this was Sasuke, he was capable of almost anything. This included displaying two completely contradictory emotions simultaneously.

"I love you to." She whispers.

"Come on. Let's get you to bed. You need your rest." He tells her and scoops her up Bridal Style, carrying her to their bed.

"Sasuke, I'm pregnant. I'm not crippled. I can walk." She laughs.

"I know. But you don't have to." He tells her and sets her down gently.

He smiles and lays down next to her. Sasuke wraps his arms around her protectively and showers her with affectionate, butterfly kisses.

"Mmm maybe being pregnant isn't so bad. I sense that I'm going to get rather spoiled before I give birth." She muses.

"Extremely spoiled." He says with a smirk.


	19. Chapter 19

The Color Red

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry, I haven't updated this one in awhile. I got caught up with some of my other stories. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 19

"Temari, you have a letter. It's from your sister." Shikamaru says a few days later and hands his wife the scroll.

"Thanks!" She says and opens it, expecting it to be the usual Gina letter.

Every so often, the red head would write her. Mostly, it was about how the Sand was doing in general. Personal details were usually scarce. Temari thought this was because the Kazekage was worried about letters being intercepted and because expressing herself emotionally was still difficult for her baby sister.

 _ **Dearest Sister,**_

 _ **I would like for you and Shikamaru to come to the Sand. I have important news to share with you. I do not feel it proper to tell you in a letter. Please come as soon as you are able.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Gina.**_

"That's odd. She wants us to come to the Sand as soon as possible." Temari muses.

"What a drag. I think I know why she is being so secretive. You might want to sit down for this one." The lazy ninja informs her and Temari wisely sits down as instructed.

"Sasuke and Gina have been married for awhile. Assuming they are being intimate, it's possible she might be pregnant. I spoke to Sasuke about it earlier. He's always wanted to restore his Clan. That didn't change after he married Gina. Gina loves Sasuke, while she might have reservations…" Shikamaru trails off.

"You think she's pregnant?!" Temari asks in astonishment?

The idea of a pregnant Gina just didn't compute. The red head was an amazing Kazekage. But she had spent almost no time around small children and seemed to have a great reluctance to do so. She'd been scared to even hold their child.

Had she really agreed to become a mother? It would be so unlike her. Perhaps it was an unplanned pregnancy. Sasuke was very attractive. It would be easy to get carried away and to forget to use the Jutsu and sometimes one "mistake" was all it took.

"I think she is. Of course we won't know for sure, until we go. So I suppose we should start packing. It's a long journey to the Sand. What a drag, it's always so annoying to have to travel for three days straight to get somewhere." He mutters in annoyance and Temari laughs, that was her husband for you.

"Well one sure fire way to find out, is if Naruto got a letter to." Temari reasons.

"That's brilliant. Let's go see if he did. If Sasuke is going to be a father, he would never be able to keep that a secret from Naruto." Her husband agrees and they head off to Naruto's place.

Once there, Shikamaru knocks on his door. Unlike many ninjas, he actually believed in knocking, it was just good manners.

Naruto opens the door. He tilts his head in confusion. It was obvious that he was curious what they were doing there.

"Naruto, have you checked your mail yet?" Shikamaru asks.

"No. Why?" The blonde asks curiously as he lets friends inside his humble home.

Temari shakes her head. She pulls out her letter. The feisty blonde promptly hands it over to Naruto to let him read it. The blue eyed ninja's eyes quickly scan the scroll and then he looks at the couple in an utterly baffled fashion.

"Alright. Gina wants to see you guys. So what? She probably just misses her sister. Not a big deal. What's that got to do with me?" The other ninja asks.

"We were wondering, if you got a letter from Sasuke." Shikamaru says vaguely and Naruto goes to check.

He blinks. Sure enough, he had. The hyper ninja wondered how Shikamaru had known he had gotten a letter from Sasuke, before he had. It was kinda freaky.

"She's pregnant." Shikamaru decrees.

"Huh? Who is pregnant? What are you guys talking about? You are acting really weird. It's starting to freak me out." Naruto says.

"Gina. That must be what she wants to tell us. That's why she won't write it in a letter. She's too worried about it being intercepted." Temari explains.

Naruto's eyes widen to the size of saucers. Gina might be pregnant? Gina was going to be a mother?! The bastard was going to be a father?! No way. It was unbelievable.

Well he mentally smacked himself for that last part. They were married now. It was pretty obvious that they were probably doing what…married people did to make babies. Sasuke had always wanted to restore his Clan. It looked like he had finally talked the red head into motherhood, somehow.

"Alright. Well let me read it and see what he said." The stunned ninja states and quickly reads Sasuke's letter.

 **Dear Loser,**

 **Get your ass to the Sand Village, immediately. I have something important to tell you.**

 **Sasuke.**

"Well you have to admit that he does have a way of cutting straight to the point." Shikamaru chuckles.

"Yeah, he's still a bastard. I guess he always will be. At least he's a happy bastard, now that he's with Gina. I can't believe there might be mini bastards walking around soon." Naruto says with a chuckle.

Meanwhile in the Sand, Gina shakes her head in amusement. She leans into her husband's arms. They were sitting in the bed and Gina was flipping through a book. It was a book of potential baby names.

She was still feeling a bit uneasy about being a mother. What if she accidentally hurt the child without meaning to? Babies were so fragile.

"You're thinking rather loudly over there and I don't think it's just about a name." Sasuke murmurs and kisses her shoulder lightly.

Despite this, she didn't regret her decision to become pregnant. She couldn't. Sasuke was just so overjoyed. Whenever he sensed her uneasy, he had a habit of distracting her in such wonderfully wicked ways. Quite honestly, she was impressed the bed was still in one piece. He was very thorough in his "reassurances."

"You know me to well for me to be able to lie to you convincingly. So I won't deny that." She whispers and tilts her head back enough to kiss him.

Sasuke kisses back. He knew that Gina was still a bit nervous. It was only natural though. He gladly took her mind off her nerves whenever they got the best of her. It seemed an effective technique so far.

"You need to relax. There's nothing to worry about. It's not good for you or our baby, for you to be so tense." He whispers after breaking the kiss, in favor of placing a trail of them along her neck.

"Perhaps you could help me with that." She says and sighs softly in pleasure at the attention.

"Gladly." He smirks and neither of them left the bed for the rest of the day, they were too wrapped up in each other to care about anything else.

A few days later, Shkamaru, Temari, and Naruto arrive in the Leaf. Naruto was on pins and needles. He wondered if it was actually true. Shikamaru and Temari seemed to think so. Sasuke would be over the Moon if it was.

When they got to Sasuke and Gina's place, they called out to their friends. But there was no answer. Frowning, they headed inside and looked for them.

"Their in the bedroom. I can sense their chakra." Shikamaru says and Temari knocks on the door.

"Gina? Sasuke? You in there? We got your letters. Naruto is with us to." The blonde says.

"Give us about five minutes!" Gina's voice rang out and the couple quickly dressed.

It looked like Sasuke's reassurances had really mad time fly. Gina smiles. It would be so good to see Naruto and Temari again. Oh and Shikamaru to. She liked her sister's husband. But she was frankly just closer to Naruto. (This was probably a good thing as Temari could be a very jealous woman at times.)

"You can come in." Sasuke says and the three ninjas head inside the bedroom.

"So what's going on? Shikamaru and Temari seem to think that Gina is pregnant." Naruto asks bluntly.

Gina blinks. How could they have possibly have known? Did they have some sort of sixth sense?

"I am. But how did you know?" The red head asks in confusion.

"Well you are married now. Sasuke has always wanted a family. You said you couldn't tell us over a letter. It was the process of elimination. What a drag, but I figured it out easily enough." Shikamaru says.

Sasuke and Gina rub their head back sheepishly. Sometimes it could be a little awkward to have a genius for a brother-in-law. They pair soon get over that awkwardness though and suddenly wish they had the foresight to purchase earplugs, when Naruto starts congratulating them.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THE BASTARD IS GOING TO HAVE MINI BASTARDS! Whoa! Damn, Gina. You have to make sure to keep him in line. You got a son or daughter to think about now. I mean I'm used to him being a bastard. You are used to him being a bastard. But a kid isn't." Naruto says.

"Naruto will you please stop screaming? I would actually like to be able to hear my child's voice someday." The Kazekage pleads.

"See? You are a good mother already." Sasuke says and wraps his arms around his lover.

"Sasuke." She says warningly and he gives her his best innocent look. (Which wasn't very convincing. This was Sasuke after all.)

Temari shakes her head in amusement. Well it was clear that her brother-in-law was trying to help her baby sister to get over her anxieties about impending motherhood. But this clearly called for a woman's touch.

"Why do you all go get us something to eat. Gina and I have a lot to talk about. Mother to mother." She says firmly and the men head off, knowing better than to argue with Temari.

"I can't believe you're pregnant either. Well I guess I can. I mean you are married and he wanted to restore his Clan. But I didn't think you'd actually go along with it. How are you feeling?" Temari asks.

"Right now? My ears hurt thanks to Naruto. But alright otherwise. The Morning Sickness comes and goes. I can't really process it. There's another person inside me." The red head admits.

"Yeah. It can be a little surreal at first. But that's not what I meant. I mean are you happy about it? Was this planned or did it just kinda happen? You can tell me. I promise I won't tell him or anyone else anything you say, not even Shikamaru." Her elder sister says in a rush, trying to gain Gina's confidence.

Gina bites her lower lip as she considers those questions. Yes, it had been planned. She was happy because Sasuke was happy. She liked the idea of there being physical proof of their love. But she couldn't deny that she was worried.

"It was planned. Nervous. Though Sasuke is really good at distracting me about that last part. You should see him, Temari. He's so happy." She says.

"It's not just his happiness that matters here, Gina. Do you want this baby or not?" The former Sand Ninja asks bluntly.

"Of course I do! It's his baby. It's our baby. I just don't want to accidentally hurt it. What if he or she hates me?" The red head whispers.

Temari sighs. She hugs her sister. It seemed that the psychological scars of her childhood were still there.

"Don't worry about any of that. Do you really think he would have tried to start a family with you, if he didn't trust you and think you'd be a wonderful mother? Gina, you manage an entire village. I'm sure you can handle a few kids." The blonde tries to reassure her.

"Maybe you're right." Gina says with a small smile.

Meanwhile with the guys. The guys were working on making some food. Well Shikamaru was giving directions. Sasuke was doing the actual cooking. Naruto was mostly fetching things. (The man was hopeless in the kitchen and Sasuke didn't want to risk having the house burn down or something.)

"You really think you are ready for this?" Naruto asks.

"I know I am. I love her. She loves me. We are going to have a family. I'll try not to drop the kid on their head too much. I wouldn't want them to end up like you." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"YOU ARE SUCH A JERK. " Naruto growls.

Shikamaru laughs. He couldn't help but shake his head. Sasuke and Naruto were both adults now. But they still bickered in exactly the same way they had done at the Academy. It was almost like no time had passed at all.

Later that day, Gina heads to her office. She insisted on at least trying to get some work done. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. She was so damn stubborn. He kissed her cheek and told her, he was going to go stretch his legs on a walk around the village.

"Alright. But be careful it's sandstorm season." She warns him.

"I'll be careful." He tells her and heads off, leaving his wife to her room.

He smiles. She really was dedicated to her Kage duties. He could still sense that she was skittish. But she was growing more used to the idea. He knew that she'd be just as dedicated a mother as a Kazekage. It would just take some more time for her to get completely comfortable with the idea.

"Sasuke, there you are. I need to speak with you." "Baki" says.

"Alright. What about?" Sasuke says as he follows the Sand Ninja, completely unsuspecting.

He had know way of knowing that wasn't really Baki. That was one of the ANBUS that had been following them on their Honeymoon. He was surprised when Baki led him outside the village to the middle of the desert.

"Why did we have to come all the way out here?" Sasuke asks, suddenly growing suspicious.

"It's about Gina. Well I suppose you could say in a way it's about her. Her pregnancy proved that you aren't sterile." Baki explains.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. Why would Baki care if he was sterile or not. Something was up. He whirls around, expecting there to be someone behind him. His guess was partially right.

"Which means Operation Demon Eyes will be successful." He finishes and someone lunges out from underneath the sound, sticking a tranquilizer dart in his neck.

While at the Sound, Orochimaru had helped Sasuke to build up his immunity to dozens of poisons. But tranquilizer darts were unfortunately, something he wasn't immune to.

He falls to the ground. Sasuke was now unconscious. The substance had spread through his system lightning fast, through his chakra pathways.

"Let's get him out of here. The longer we stay this close to the Sand, the greater the chance we will be caught." The first man says.

His partner nods. They had to get out of here quickly. If the Kazekage found out they kidnapped her husband, there would be Hell to pay. The two men quickly take off with an unconscious Uchiha in tow.

Several hours later, Sasuke awoke chained to a wall. He looked around. He seemed to be in some kind of medical lab. His eyes immediately narrow, this couldn't be good.

"Ah you're awake. So sorry about that. But it was the only way to grab you. As you have probably figured out, you weren't actually speaking to Baki. That was just my partner using a Transformation Jutsu. Sometimes the simplest techniques can be the most effective, eh?" He inquires.

Sasuke glares at the man wearing the Coyote Mask. That was an ANBU Mask. He was from the Leaf or at least had stolen the mask off of a Leaf Villager.

"I can see you aren't that talkative. That's alright. We don't need your conversation, just your genetic material" He continues.

His partner was wearing a dragon mask. His other one had gotten slashed too badly to be much use in another battle. He really wished the Coyote would learn to shut up.

"Quiet. He doesn't need introductions." He hisses.

"What do you mean by my genetic material?" Sasuke hisses, suddenly overcome with a feeling of dread.

"Do you know how much Uchiha eyes are worth on the black market? Even if the kid doesn't develop the Sharingan, the genes are there. Uchiha children will be worth millions apiece, easily. All because of those demon eyes of yours." The Coyote says.

"You want…to steal my genetic material to create an army of children to fucking sell for their parts?!" Sasuke snarls.

"Not necessarily their parts. The buyers might adopt them or decide to raise them as soldiers instead. But essentially, your assessment is mostly accurate." The Dragon ANBU states.

"I will fucking kill you both, slowly." Sasuke promises and the two ANBUS feel their blood run cold.

They both knew that if Sasuke ever got out of his restraints, he would keep that promise. Still they had already kidnapped him. It was too late to turn back now. Besides, they would soon be rich beyond their wildest dreams.

Meanwhile back in the Sand, Gina finishes for the night. She quickly gets herself a midnight snack and heads to the room she shared with Sasuke. She figured he'd be back from his walk now.

"Sasuke?" She calls out softly.

Hearing no reply, she frowns. He always responded right away when she called out his name. Maybe he wasn't back from his walk yet.

She sighs and lays down in their bed. The red head snuggles into the blankets. They always comforted her. The blankets had his scent on them. The Kazekage found she always slept peacefully with her husband laying next to her, without him…she reverted back to being an extreme insomniac.

"It's two in the morning. Where is he?" She asks in fear.

She quickly goes to find Naruto. Maybe Sasuke had decided to spar with him, late at night for some reason. Stranger things had happened.

"Naruto!" She calls out behind the blonde's guestroom door.

Naruto had been fast asleep. It took him a few minutes to wake up. He was a deep sleeper. But the red head wouldn't give up. She kept screaming and pounding on the door. Eventually, he opens the door and looks at her in confusion.

"Hey, Gina. What's wrong?" The blue eyed ninja asks in concern, wondering what had rattled his normally very composed friend.

"Sasuke is missing. I thought he might have been with you. Is he?" She asks.

"No. Why would he be with me? It's almost three in the morning. He should be snuggled up to you. Wait, he's not with you? That's not like him. Sasuke's really excited about your pregnancy. It wouldn't be like him to let you out of his sight like this." The blonde says and his eyes narrow in worry.

She nods. That was exactly what she had been thinking. The Kazekage watches as Naruto quickly throws on some real clothes over his nightclothes.

"Let's go. I know Sasuke's chakra signature. I think I can track him. If I can't, Kurama might be able to." He says.

Gina nods. She had never been more grateful to Naruto than she was at that moment. He might be able to help her find Sasuke. With every passing minute, she grew more nervous. Where was he? Was Sasuke alright?

She follows Naruto outside. The blonde was clearly concentrating. He was trying locate Sasuke's chakra.

"I think I got it. But it's faint. He left hours ago. We have to hurry." Naruto says and the red head follows her best friend.

Thank God. The blue eyed ninja had found a trail. Maybe they would find Sasuke after all. She just prayed that he was alright. The Kazekage hoped with every fiber of her being they would find him. That they would find him alive and unharmed.

She didn't know what she would do without him. How could she possibly raise their child without him? Sasuke was so sure of their ability to do so. She didn't know what she would do without him. He was her most precious person.

"Lead the way." She says and flits off after Naruto.

"There was a fight here. We have three tracks. Someone fell. I think it was Sasuke." The blonde says once they get further out into the desert.

Gina gulps. She didn't smell any blood. There wasn't any blood on the ground. This had been a kidnapping, not a murder. But why?

Why had they taken him? Was it simply for a ransom? What if it was someone who wanted his eyes? He was the last living Uchiha on the planet, save for their son or daughter. His eyes were currently priceless.

"He's not dead. We would have found blood if he was." Naruto says, as he desperately tries to comfort the expectant mother.

She nods and they continue following the trail. Just as the Sun was rising, they came across an old settlement. It hadn't been used in years, not since well before the Sand had become a village. It was positively ancient.

"Whoa this place is like a ghost town." Naruto observes.

"That's because it is. This was a settlement long before the Sand was built. No one's used it in years. There used to be a watering hole that was in the center of it. But it dried up. Once it did, the people were forced to move." She explains.

"Well the lights are on in one of the buildings. I guess we know where to find our bastard." Naruto says as they flit towards it.

The Kazekage and Leaf Ninja stayed deadly silent. They cloaked their chakra. They sat outside on a window sill, trying to listen in for any signs of life. What they heard, made their blood boil.

"Do you know how much Uchiha eyes are worth on the black market? Even if the kid doesn't develop the Sharingan, their genetic means the genes are there. Uchiha children will be worth millions apiece, easily. All because of those demon eyes of yours." They heard someone say.

"You want…to steal my genetic material to create an army of children to fucking sell for their parts?!" Sasuke snarls.

Gina gasps. It was Sasuke. They had kidnapped to breed him. If Sasuke was a woman, this wouldn't have been possible on this scale. But a man could easily "donate" his sperm several times and sire potentially hundreds of children to be sold off.

"We have to say him." She whispers and Naruto nods.

"Don't worry. We'll get him back. So what's the plan?" He asks.

"We blow this building and tear them apart." She hisses.

"Good plan." The blonde says and Gina smirks in a way that made Naruto really glad he wasn't one of the kidnappers. (Gina was out for blood.)


	20. Chapter 20

The Color Red

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm sorry that this one took forever to update. I got caught up on some of my other stories and wasn't sure how to proceed without making this one anticlimactic. Feel free to check them out and I do have a plot bunny for another Sasuke x Gina in the works. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Warning:** There is a pretty graphic torture scene. I have put up warnings before and after. If that isn't your thing, you can easily skip it. Summary, Sasuke does what he does best.

Chapter 20

Sasuke glares at his kidnappers. How fucking dare they?! They wanted to essentially use him to spawn an army of Uchihas. They didn't even care what happened to the children. Whether they were adopted or sold for parts didn't appear to matter to them in the slightest.

He had been called a monster many times in his life, but never would he have even thought of doing something like this. The very idea of conceiving children, just so you could cut out their eyes and/or sell them on the Black Market made him want to vomit. It was sickening.

"I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart." He promises.

"Oh I don't that's going to happen. Those chains are specifically designed. They will suck out your chakra and they are built to endure the kind of abuse your regular physical strength can dish out. You aren't going anywhere." The Coyote informs him.

The Dragon nods at this assessment. It had been the perfect plan. They were going to be filthy rich.

"Don't worry too much. I'm sure that most people would rather have the kid alive. That way they can be turned into the ultimate super soldiers and breed more demons like yourself later on." The Dragon reassures him.

"And they said I was the monster. I never sold children into fucking slavery or bred them to be sent off to their slaughter." Sasuke spits at them.

The Coyote shrugs. They never claimed to be moral. He manages to dodge the saliva being shot at him. Though it was a narrow miss.

"You aren't in a position to judge us. You betrayed your own village and later came back. Then what do you do? The first chance you get, you shack up with another Kage. Smart move on your part. You got to leave the Leaf and now are in a position of political influence." The Dragon muses.

Sasuke had never wanted to slaughter someone so much before in his entire life. Even when he had thought Itachi killed their Clan to test his limits, he had never felt such a seething hatred.

How fucking dare they lecture him about morality?! How dare they assume that they knew anything about him and Gina?! When he got through with them, there wasn't going to be anything left to bury.

"I don't give a damn about political influence. I never have. Not that thugs like you could ever understand, but I love my wife." The raven haired ninja snarls at them.

"Though I have to admit, that must have been quite a show. I wonder what it's like when two demons fuck and decide to spawn." The Coyote ponders.

Oh that was it. He was going to die slowly. There would be no mercy when Sasuke was free from his restraints, he was going to ensure the Coyote begged for death.

"I guess you wouldn't know. I doubt any woman is dumb enough to touch either of you. Not even if you paid her." Sasuke taunts them.

"You are rather fortunate that you are more valuable alive than dead." The Dragon says as he backhands Sasuke.

Sasuke growls. The hit was nothing compared to what he had faced in the past. Common thugs like these could never match Naruto, Orochimaru, Madara, or any of his other previous foes in strength. It was more the principle of the thing. Oh yes, they would both die slowly.

Gina and Naruto watch from outside. The blonde holds the red head back when one of the kidnappers strikes Sasuke. If they were going to do this. They had to do it right.

"Gina, we have to be careful. We don't want to accidentally hit the bastard." The blonde says.

It was too late though. The sand reacted to Gina's will. It instinctively burst through the windows and flooded into the building. The red head jumps through the now opened window and lands on her feet.

Naruto was a bit impressed by this. He didn't know that the Kazekage was part cat. Damn she really did always land on her feet.

"Disgraceful." She says simply and her sand forms into a giant hand, smacking both of the ninjas into the wall.

A loud CRASH is heard. Naruto was almost positive that some bones had been broken from the force of that impact. It didn't matter though. All that mattered was getting Sasuke the fuck out of there.

He rushes over to his friend and tries to get him out of the restraints. Damn it. These were some very strong chains.

"Naruto, use Kurama's chakra." Gina snaps at him and glares at her husband's kidnappers.

"Lady Kazekage…" One of them says and Gina wondered if they were actually foolish enough to try to beg for their lives.

That would be amusing. Still she wasn't going to show them any mercy. Once Naruto freed Sasuke, she was going to give them the worst punishment of all. She'd subject them to Sasuke's fury.

"Oh do beg. This should prove amusing. You had better do a good job of it, if you want your lives to be spared. I'm not feeling particularly merciful today. My "demon" isn't the most gentle man on a good day. You kidnapped him and were going to sell his children to the highest bidder. I'd say that he has every reason to tear you apart." Gina says as her sand repeatedly slams them into the walls.

"Alright, bastard. It's okay. We are going to get you out of here." Naruto promises as he uses Kurama's chakra to literally melt the chains.

Sasuke nods at Naruto gratefully. He glances at his wife. Gina was capable of being quite theatrical when she wanted to be. He felt almost guilty about interrupting her grand performance.

"I feel the same way." He states as he stalks over to the dazed and bloodied ANBU.

The Dragon and Coyote gulp. God damn it. There was only one way that they might make it out of this alive. They would have to pull their trump card.

Unfortunately for them, Sasuke wasn't feeling inclined to let them do much talking. Gina watches in alarm as blood begins to flow from underneath Sasuke's eye. The Amaterasu.

 **Warning Torture Scene**

"I'm going to enjoy this. Amaterasu!" Sasuke growls and hurls some black flames at them.

It was only a small amount. Clearly, her lover wanted to make them suffer. They were said to burn hotter than the flames of Hell itself. Judging by their cries of agony, the Kazekage assumed that description was accurate.

"AHHHH! MAKE IT FUCKING STOP!" The Dragon says.

"You sure? I was about to regale you of tales explaining how two demons spawn." Sasuke snarls.

Gina watches as he charges up a Chidori. It was at that moment, she glances at Naruto. The red head gestures for him to leave. She didn't think that the blonde really wanted to see what her husband was capable of at his most sadistic.

"Yes! Yes! Make it stop. It was nothing personal! We just wanted to make some easy money!" The Coyote pleads.

"And you think that we should just forgive you? We should just forgive you for kidnapping me, while my wife is pregnant and putting her through unnecessary stress?! And we should forgive you for trying to breed an army of my Clan to sell to the highest bidder?!" The raven haired ninja demands.

Gina watches as Sasuke tosses his Chidori at the Coyote. She winces when she saw how low he was aiming. To put it quite simply, that Coyote was never going to have any children.

"AHHH! YOU FUCKING MONSTER! DAMN YOU TO HELL! DAMN YOU!" The Coyote lets out a wail of pain that chilled even the Kazekage's blood.

Naruto gives them one last worried look before he leaves. It looked like Sasuke and Gina had everything under control. He was rather worried about Sasuke indulging in his dark side again, but he had a right to do it. The creeps had actually been planning to sell his children, even Naruto would have turned a little sadistic at that knowledge.

"He may be a monster, but he's my monster. You should have remembered that before you tried to take him away from me." Gina says as she forms a knife with her sand.

"What are you doing with that knife, you crazy bitch?!" The dragon demands.

Gina shrugs. While she liked to pretend that she had put her past behind her, she hadn't been completely successful in doing so. All those nights of the demon taunting her with helpful suggests for how to kill people, never really left her. She could be just as sadistic as Sasuke, when she wanted to be.

At the moment, she very much wanted to be. How dare they threaten her family?! She was going to make them pay. She decides to do that in the most fitting way that she could think of at the moment. By cutting one of their eyes out. Each.

"You wanted to breed them for their eyes. Let's see how you like having your eyes cut out." She hisses at them and proceeds to slowly do exactly that.

Their screams were almost deafening. That didn't stop the angry Kazekage though. They would have done this to their child, if given a chance. She was protecting their son or daughter and avenging her husband. A little screaming was not going to deter her.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Sasuke asks.

"A few times. They deserved it though. They would have done it to our baby, if given a chance. I'm not condoning torture on a regular basis. I am making an exception for them." Gina informs him.

"Ha. Love! Demons like the two of you can't love." The Coyote spits at them.

Sasuke slams his sword into the Coyote's lung for that remark. Honestly, it was very rude to interrupt someone's conversation. Didn't anyone have any manners anymore.

"I'll let you play with them a bit. I'm going to make sure they don't have any friends sneaking around here before we blow the place up." The Kazekage says.

"Alright." Sasuke says as he begins a modified version of the Lion's Barrage, having dispelled the fire once Gina had moved to cut their eyes out.

CRUNCH. CRACK. BAM. Gina winces as she hears the sounds of their bones being broken. The red head ignores their howls of agony as she explores the hide out. She frowns a few minutes later, when she found what seemed to be medical files.

"This isn't good." She mutters to herself.

Sasuke was currently hitting the two men in every nonvital spot they had. The scent of blood was now heavy in the air and the floors now were turning a dark red color as their blood gushed out of their wounds.

"Sasuke, end them quickly. It seems that while you were unconscious they were busy. They already sent off the first shipment." Gina says.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asks.

"While you were unconscious, they collected a sample of your…material and sent it out. I found their records though. We don't need to keep them alive, but we do need to hurry. If we are lucky, we can intercept it before it's used." Gina says.

Sasuke didn't waste any time. He quickly drove his sword through the hearts of his kidnappers. They died screaming. He then rushes over to his wife and walks out of the building with her.

 **End Torture Scene**

"Uh oh. I don't like those looks on your faces." Naruto says once the couple leaves the building.

"I don't like having them. Unfortunately, it seems our dearly departed friends already collected a sample from Sasuke and sent it out." The red head says as she uses her send to utterly crush the building behind her.

Naruto blinks. A sample from Sasuke? What was she talking about? Then it clicked. Ohhh. That was just sick!

"Do we know where?!" The blonde demands.

"I have their records. It's just a matter of getting there before the buyers can start bidding or at least find the buyers before they can use their…purchase." The red head says delicately.

Sasuke twitches. He couldn't believe this had happened. It was an outrageous. He was going to enjoy slaughtering the buyers as well. How fucking dare they treat his family as if they were nothing more than thoroughbred horses to bid on?!

"Naruto, take Gina back to the Sand. If anything happens to her or our child, I will kill you. I'm going to go deal with this." He growls.

"Sasuke, you don't actually think you are leaving me behind, do you?" Gina asks with a raised eyebrow.

"You are pregnant. You should be resting. It's bad enough they kidnapped me and scared you half to death. You don't need to waste your time on tracking down these thugs." Sasuke says.

Naruto shakes his head. Oh boy. This wasn't going to be pretty. Sasuke was the most stubborn person that he had ever met in his life, but Gina was a red head. So both of them were stubborn.

"It could be dangerous. I'm going with you or you are going home with me. I'm not putting you at risk again. I would like our child to actually know who his or her father is!" Gina snaps at him.

"Bastard, maybe I should do the tracking. I mean Gina has the records there. You should go back to the Sand. Like you said, she should be resting. All this stress isn't good for her or the baby." The blonde reasons.

"NARUTO, BUT OUT! This is a discussion between my wife and I!" Sasuke thunders at his best friend.

Naruto blinks. He wisely takes a few steps back. The last thing anyone who wasn't suicidal wanted to do was to get in the middle of a martial dispute between the Kazekage and Sasuke.

"Don't yell at him. Naruto can handle it. I know that you want to get even with these people, but you aren't thinking straight. He can capture them and then you can punish them." Gina reasons.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. He'd be able to be with his wife. His pregnant wife who clearly needed him to look out for her. Naruto could catch these vile cockroaches and then he could squash them like the bugs that they were.

"Alright. Loser, did you get all that?" Sasuke asks.

"I don't know. It's kinda hard to hear when my head just got bitten off." The blonde says.

Sasuke gives Naruto a dirty look. He was most certainly not in the mood to put up with his best friend's playful teasing at the moment. He had just been kidnapped and his genetic material was about to be sold to the highest bidder.

"Naruto." He growls warningly.

"Alright. Alright. Gina, you might want to copy down that information. That way we have a back up." The Leaf Ninja says.

Gina nods and takes out some blank scrolls. Fortunately, her time as Kazekage had enabled her to become quite a fast writer. It didn't take her long to copy the plans.

"Good luck, Naruto. Stay safe." She whispers.

"I will. You two be careful. Sasuke, try not to be a bastard to her. Gina, cut him some slack. He can't help it that he's a bastard all the time. He was just born that way. I'm sure you know that though. I mean you did marry him." The blue eyed ninja says and darts off before either of them could issue a retort to his instructions.

Gina shakes her head in amusement. Some things would never change. Apparently one of those things was the fact that Naruto just couldn't resist teasing Sasuke. It didn't matter what the situation was. He was just going to bicker with her husband, no matter what.

"He is such a loser." Sasuke mutters as he scoops up his wife Bridal Style.

"Mmm and you are extremely stubborn. I suppose that is why you are best friends." She muses as she cuddles into her lover's arms.

"Maybe. Let's go home. I don't want to see your sexy ass out of that bed unless you are doing something boring like paperwork." He informs her.

Gina laughs. Sasuke was out of his mind, if he thought she was going to just be a good little housewife and laze around in bed until she gave birth. Honestly, who did he think he married?

"You wish that I was going to be that cooperative. I think we both know that isn't going to be the case." She states.

"I could chain you to the bed, if you don't behave." He replies as they head back towards the Sand.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" The Kazekage asks slyly and Sasuke smirks.

He knew there was a reason he loved this woman. It doesn't take them long to get back to the Sand. Quite honestly, Sasuke wanted Gina back where it was safe. He didn't like that he had foolishly allowed himself to be kidnapped and she had put herself in harm's way to find him.

"A little of both, I suppose." He answers her after awhile and carries her back to their room.

"I'm trembling with…excitement." She replies.

He smiles and joins her in the bed. Sasuke quickly wraps his arms around her protectively. He was definitely not letting her out of his sight again. He couldn't believe what had almost happened.

"Do you think Naruto will get there in time?" He asks.

"I think so. He always has in the past. Naruto has got to be the luckiest son of a bitch, that I have ever met." The red head offers.

Sasuke shakes his head. Normally, he would be inclined to agree with her. Still he felt that he had stolen that title from everyone's favorite knucklehead.

Somehow, he was alive. He had been pardoned. Sasuke had fallen in love with a Kazekage, gotten a transfer, married her, and now they were expecting their first child. Oh and there was that whole thing about escaping some crazy Black Market kidnappers. Yes, he was pretty lucky.

"He's the second luckiest son of a bitch that you know. I'm first." Sasuke argues.

"Mm well that was rather romantic in a roundabout way." Gina observes in amusement as she cuddles into her lover.

"You inspire me." Sasuke tells her and kisses the top of Gina's head.

The red head sighs in contentment and closes her eyes. Now that she knew that Sasuke was safe, she could finally get some sleep. She couldn't believe how close she had come to losing everything. The Kazekage vows never to let it happen again.

"I suppose the chains are going to have to wait until another day." Sasuke notes in amusement, once he realizes his wife had fallen asleep.

He couldn't blame her. It couldn't be easy. She was pregnant, Kazekage, and had just launched a rescue mission. No wonder she was exhausted.

That's when Kankuro, Temari, and Shikamaru all burst in. Sasuke gives them a dirty look. He gestures to the sleeping red head and thankfully, they all shut up. He subtlety climbs out of the bed and goes to talk to them.

The foursome make their way down the hallway. Sasuke didn't want to wake up Gina. Still they had a right to know what was going on.

"So what the Hell happened?" Kankuro asks.

"It's a long story. I was kidnapped. Naruto and Gina found me. They took care of the kidnappers. They were ANBU who wanted to breed an army of Uchiha babies to sell on the Black Market. We killed them, but while I was unconscious they took a genetic sample. So now Naruto is trying to track down that sample before they use it. Fortunately, Gina found their logs. So the loser knows where to start looking." Sasuke explains in a rush.

Shikamaru just gapes at Sasuke. What the Hell? This was such a drag. Why couldn't anything ever be easy?

"Are you and Gina alright? What about the baby?" Temari asks in shock.

"We're fine. The baby is fine. I'm just hoping that he or she is the only baby. I don't know what we'll do if, the buyers are actually successful." Sasuke mutters in disgust.

He felt that old familiar white hot fury rush through his veins. It was disturbing how he could slip so easily back into darkness. Sasuke tries to tell himself that anyone would feel this way. Anyone would react like this when their family was threatened. It was a small comfort.

"Well I'm glad you are all okay. I'm sure that Naruto can handle it. You guys won the war. How hard can it be to deal with a Black Market?" Kankuro asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. That idiot. He just jinxed them. What the Hell was wrong with Kankuro? You never said something like that. It was almost as bad as saying things couldn't get any worse. They always did get worse.

"I hope so. Naruto has always been able to pull off miracles before. Maybe things will work out. But I wouldn't assume this is going to be easy. There is a reason why Black Markets exist, they are hard to take out." He mutters.

Sasuke shivers as he imagines his children being sold off at an auction. God only knows what the buyers really wanted to do with them. There were so many horrifying possibilities. Each was worse than the last.

Obviously, they might raise them to be super soldiers. They might even adopt them just for the prestige boost. Still others might kill them for their eyes. Perhaps the most disturbing possibility was that they might be groomed to become the plaything of their buyer. A love slave.

"It's going to okay." Temari says as she places her hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

She wasn't entirely certain what Sasuke was thinking, but the feisty blonde had a pretty good guess. This couldn't be easy for Sasuke or Gina. Still Naruto was on the case. If anyone could deal with this, it was him.

"Thanks. I just don't know if I believe that." The eldest Uchiha mutters.

They had to fix this. There was no way that he was going to allow the Black Market to get away with this. Whenever Naruto hunted down these freaks, Sasuke was going to make sure that they were punished. He would punish them in such a horrific fashion, that no one would even think about targeting his family ever again.


	21. Chapter 21

The Color Red

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm sorry that this story hasn't been updated in forever. I just kept getting sidetracked by my other ones. I do intend to finish this though. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** We're still dealing with the fallout from the kidnapping. So some parts of this chapter may be a bit uncomfortable to read, but there will be lots of snuggling time to make up for it. **I do promise a happy ending though.**

Chapter 21

A few days later, Gina was snuggling up into Sasuke. She was back in the Sand and after they were both looked at by a medic, they had quickly gone home. Sasuke had refused to let her out of his sight since. She sighs and kisses him.

"Sasuke, I'm fine. My pregnancy is perfectly normal." She whispers.

"I know, but that stress wasn't good for you or the baby. I should have known that something was wrong. I knew that something was off, but I didn't listen to my instincts. Because of that, our child might have hundreds of half-siblings. Half-siblings that might be sold into slavery or worse." Her husband whispers.

The Kazekage sighs as she looks into his guilt-ridden eyes. Sasuke blamed himself for what had happened, but it hadn't been his fault. It was the fault of those who had kidnapped him. Not her husband.

"It's not your fault. Besides, Naruto is going to take care of it. That's what he's good at. Saving the day. Isn't it?" She asks with a teasing smile.

"Yes, it is. What am I good at though?" Sasuke asks.

"Mmm well you're quite the skilled lover and excel when it comes to fathering children." Gina tells him as she leans over and kisses him.

Sasuke returns the kiss and the red head smiles. Maybe, everything would be alright. For now, she was just going to have to trust that Naruto knew what he was doing. One thing was for damn sure though. She didn't want Sasuke out there.

He was too enraged. Her husband was just as likely to tear apart the Five Nations looking for those men as to actually find them. Besides, she would much rather have him in her bed than running around chasing after Black Market Dealers.

"Well that's true. I just hope that the only child that I've managed to sire so far is ours." He whispers.

"I hope that too." Gina murmurs as she caresses the side of his face.

She loved Sasuke and she knew how important family was to him. If those orders were successfully delivered, she knew what would happen. Sasuke would want to take the children in as their own. To say the least, it was an unsettling thought.

Not that she would hold their method of "conception" against them. It was more that she was worried what that would mean for Sasuke. Every single time that he looked at them, he would be reminded of being kidnapped. She could only hope that he would love those children that were spawned out of greed as much as the child that they had created out of love.

"Mmm I love you. Whatever happens, I don't want you to forget that." The raven haired man tells her as he kisses his wife's forehead tenderly.

"I love you too." Gina replies with a smile as she snuggles further into him.

It would be too much like her own childhood. She had a Tailed Beast implanted into her without her consent. These theoretical children hadn't asked to be born or to be conceived with such vile intentions in mind. It wouldn't be there fault.

The Kazekage knew that it would be wrong for them to be treated differently than their half-sibling, but could they really do it? Could they treat the other children the same way as a child of their own blood. Her blood and Sasuke's?

"Get some sleep, Strawberry." Sasuke commands.

"Mmm alright. Goodnight, Vamp." The expectant mother says as she closes her eyes and slowly drifts off.

Meanwhile Naruto had formed what seemed like hundreds of clones and was going to every location on the list. There were just so many of them. He was so busy fanning out, that he didn't realize that someone was following him.

That someone was Sasuke. Well more specifically, it was an army of the Uchiha's Clones. He sent one clone after each Naruto. There was no way that he was going to leave any of this to chance.

"Give me the box!" Naruto shouts at one of the carriers.

Sasuke snorts. Really? That's what Naruto was going with? The idiot didn't really think that the man was going to hand him the box, did he?

This was probably a civilian. A civilian who wouldn't really understand the significance of what he was carrying. As angry was Sasuke was, he wasn't mindless.

There was no headband. Either this man was a civilian or he was pretending to be. Either way, that was fine. Sasuke Flickers over and delivers a kick to his stomach that sends him flying backwards. The force of him hitting the tree was enough to knock the man unconscious.

"Bastard, what are you doing here?!" Naruto demands.

"Relax, idiot. I'm a clone. You didn't really think that I was going to leave this all up to you, did you? It's my Clan's future that is on the line." The other man retorts.

"Gina is going to kill you, if she finds out." The blonde warns him.

That was probably true. He imagined that his wife would be furious, if she knew. Still that wasn't going to stop him. This was for the good of their family. In the long run, she'd probably thank him.

The red head would probably smack him around with her sand a few times before that though. Not that he minded. It wasn't like her was going to fight his beloved wife while she was pregnant. She could slap him around as much as she wanted.

"Good thing that she's not going to find out then. Is she?" Sasuke demands as he flashes his eyes at the Nine Tails.

Naruto had the good sense to gulp. They were both relatively equal in power and Sasuke had one advantage over his friend. He wouldn't hesitate to put his all into a fight. Naruto would always pull back at the last minute.

That was why he was the hero and Sasuke wasn't. He had done so many horrible things, but this wasn't going to be one of them. Leaving the future of his Clan in the hands of someone else, that wasn't something that he was capable of doing.

"Fine. I'm not going to tell her. If she finds out though, I'm gonna tell her the truth. That this was your idea. You're the only clone, right?" The blue eyed ninja asks nervously.

Not even Naruto. Naruto was his best friend in the world. Well other than Gina, but he just couldn't do it. Sasuke had to do this. He had to make sure that those bastards didn't get the last laugh.

"Loser, do you think that I'm an idiot? Of course, I'm not the only one." Sasuke informs him with a smirk.

"You just have do things the hard way, don't you?" Naruto asks with a sigh . "Look whose talking!" Sasuke growls at him.

Back in the Leaf Village, Tsunade sighs and pours herself another drink. She couldn't believe this. The Messenger Hawk had just arrived with a scroll for her, earlier that day.

It was written in a very special code. One that had taken hours to decipher, but it had been difficult to crack for a good reason. What she read inside that scroll was positively ghastly.

 _ **Dear Granny Tsunade,**_

 _ **It's going to take me awhile to get back from the Leaf. Gina and I managed to save Sasuke from his kidnappers. Unfortunately, the kidnappers were planning on selling the bastard's…genetic material to the highest bidder and had already sent out the orders.**_

 _ **So now, I have to track down the shipments. It's probably going to take awhile. Don't worry though. These are just really sick thugs. I'm more than a match for them.**_

 _ **Sasuke is back in the Sand and with Gina. I'm hoping that he's not going to do anything stupid. She is pregnant. So that might be enough to keep him from going off on a murderous rampage.**_

 _ **Anyway, wish me luck…Naruto.**_

"You've got to be kidding me. Can nothing ever be simple around here?" She mutters as she sips her drink.

"No. It can't. I told you that it was a bad match. The poor girl fell for a pretty face and look what almost happened!" Onoki says.

He was visiting the Leaf Village to discuss trade. To say the least, the Stone Kage was still not supportive of Gina's relationship with Sasuke. Not that it particularly mattered.

They were already married and had a child on the way. What the old man thought he was going to get out of continuing to complain about it, Tsunade didn't know. While she certainly wished that the red head had chosen someone with a less checkered past, the busty blonde knew that her thoughts on the matter were irrelevant. Gina had made her decision and that was that.

"Onoki, if you aren't going to stop complaining about Gina's personal life, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave. It's most unbecoming to gossip about another Kage like that behind their back and I will not tolerate it." The other ninja warns him.

"You're right. Forgive me, Lady Tsunade. It's just that I'm worried about her. I only want what is best for Gina." He says as he lowers his eyes as if in contrition.

Tsunade knew better than to buy it though. The man just didn't want a fight. Which was just fine with her. She had better thing to do than to pick a fight over an issue that had already been resolved months ago.

Gina and Sasuke were in love. It was perhaps the most unexpected match that she had ever seen and yet, the most expected match at the same time. They were just both so similar, even if their pasts were somewhat polar opposites of each other.

"There's nothing to forgive. Now, we just have to hope that Naruto can prevent a tragedy from occurring." She whispers.

Sasuke had started off as a Prodigy. He had been adored by almost everyone because of his skills, his bloodline, and his tragic past as a young child. Gina had been hated and feared by everyone because of the demon. Later on though, it was Sasuke who became the "villain" and Gina who became the "hero" in people's minds.

Despite the fact that their paths had started off so differently, somehow they had managed to converge. As much as she wished that Gina had chosen someone else, the Hokage couldn't deny that they obviously loved each other. She wasn't going to stand in the way of love, even if it wasn't a logical love in her mind. (Not that love was ever logical to begin with, but she digressed).

Elsewhere, one of Sasuke's clones Lion Barrages one of the deliverers. He knew that he probably should hold back more. There was a chance that the people delivering the packages had no idea what was inside them.

"Bastard! Take it easy! These people aren't Madara!" Naruto's clone shouts at him.

Oh he knew that. These people were potentially carrying the future of his Clan though. He wasn't going to allow his kidnappers to win. Not even after they were dead.

Any children in his Clan should be conceived out of love. Not out of deception and greed. That was why they had to stop each and every package. Sasuke didn't care how long it took to do so. They were going to do it!

"I know that. I'm just not taking any chances!" Sasuke yells at him as he makes sure to destroy, yet another box.

These people were sick. There had to be hundreds of these boxes. It looked like his kidnappers had been busy wooing perspective clients for awhile. This wasn't the type of operation that had been thrown together over night.

It made him furious. He could feel the old white hot fury flare to life again. The poisonous feeling of hatred and desire for revenge. Maybe, he shouldn't just stop with the deliverers.

"Sasuke, I know what you're thinking. Don't. Just don't. You don't want to go there." Naruto warns him.

"They were going to buy my children, Naruto! They need to be punished!" Sasuke growls.

"Yes, they do. We'll put them in jail. I promise. Going on a killing spree is not going to help you. You have a chance to start over Sasuke. You have Gina and your son or daughter to think about. You can't afford to lose it." Naruto reminds him.

Sasuke sighs and nods. He knew that was true. Gina probably wouldn't forgive him, if he went around murdering the buyers. As much as he was loathed to admit it, killing them just wasn't practical.

These people were all wealthy. They would be making a lot of political, economic, and maybe even military enemies…if he killed them. Damn it.

"I know. Let's just get this over with." He mutters.

Back in the Sand, Gina slowly opens her eyes and sees that Sasuke was staring at the wall rather intently. Too intently for it to be normal. Something was going on.

"Sasuke, tell me that you didn't." She whispers.

"Tell you that I didn't what?" He replies as he turns his attention towards his wife.

"Tell me that you didn't send clones after Naruto to "help" him." The red head says with a sigh.

Her husband had the decency to look guilty, but that didn't change their current situation. Wonderful. Her husband was following Naruto as he was stopping the deliveries.

"If you destroy the Five Nations in a homicidal rage, you'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your life." She warns him.

Sasuke gulps at that threat and that made the expectant mother feel better. Threatening to kill Sasuke was pointless. Threatening him with the couch was far more effective. At the end of the day, the Uchiha man was a sensual creature.

It was a bit surprising, really. The ninja had spent most of his life trying to cut any bonds that he had, but he craved physical affection. So did she for that matter. Far more than she ever really cared to admit, but her husband continued to survive her in that particular aspect of their marriage. Clan Restoration was not going to be a difficult task considering how much he loved _**being**_ with her.

"There's no need to go that far. I just had to be sure. I wanted to protect our family. That's all." He says quickly.

"I know that you did and I love you for it. I love how much you want to protect our family and prevent something horrible from happening, but I really wish that you would have trusted Naruto to handle this." She whispers as she kisses him.

She should be angry with him and on some level, the red head was. Despite that, Gina just couldn't stay mad at him. She loved him too much. She was far too addicted to his touch to stay cross with him and the bastard knew that too!

"I love you. I just want to make sure that those cowards don't cause our family any unnecessary pain. You feeling okay?" He asks as his eyes drift to her stomach.

"Mmm. I imagine you're going to ask me that at least a thousand times a day until the baby is born, but yes. I'm okay. As long as I have you, I'm okay." She says as she rests her head on his shoulder.

That made Sasuke and his Clones smile. Back on the "battlefield," his clones and all the Naruto's were chasing down more and m ore deliverers. Sasuke could scarcely keep track of all of them.

Some just dropped what they were carrying and ran when they saw the two famous (or infamous in Sauske's case) ninjas. Others didn't see them coming until it was too late. Some didn't recognize them and tried to fight.

"Chidori!" One of Sasuke's clones says as he fires off his trademark attack at a man who had been stupid enough to fight him.

Obviously, he didn't know who he was dealing with. That didn't matter though. He was hardly the first and nor was a powerful enough ninja to pose a real threat to the ninja.

"AHHHH!" The man screams in agony as he falls to the ground and Sasuke smashes the box.

He wasn't the only one though. The Narutos and Sasukes spent the better par of the day tracking down deliverers. It was a burr of punches, kicks, chasing, Chidoris, Rasengans, fireballs, wind attacks, and others. One deliverer was indistinguishable from the next after awhile.

By the end of the day though, Sasuke's clones were exhausted and disappeared with a loud poof as Naruto heads back to the Leaf. It was over. Well almost over. They still had to deal with the buyers.

One week later, Gina was standing in the Sand's Village Square with her husband at her side. Today was a big day. It was a day to ensure that no one else would ever attempt what those black market dealers had done.

"Thank you, all for coming here on such short notice. My husband and I have an important announcement to make." Gina begins.

There were murmurs of acknowledgement. So far, only a few people knew about Sasuke's kidnapping. Much less what had almost happened with the Uchiha Bloodline.

"Not long ago, I was tricked and kidnapped. Two ninjas attempted to extra genetic samples from me and they did succeed. It seems that they were going to sell the samples off to the highest bidders. They had a long list of clients who wanted Uchiha children. Most of whom, wanted them for rather unsavory reasons." Sasuke continues.

There were gasps and cries out outrage. By this point, Sasuke was now largely considered a member of the Sand Village. It was hard to look at him with the same fear and suspicion that they used to when he was married to their beloved Kazekage, after all. So it was unsettling to think of someone doing such a thing to Sasuke and his children.

"That's vile!" Someone from the crowd shouts.

"Yes, it is. That's why we have tracked down all the potential buyers and they will be put on trial. Depending on the laws of their respective Nations and Villages, they'll be put to death or imprisoned. That's of course, if they're found guilty. As their names are on a list, I highly doubt that they'll be found innocent. We do respect the rule of law though. That's important. Without laws, our world would fall into chaos." Gina says.

That was true. There had to be at least some rules. Though that was a lesson that her husband was still learning.

"Indeed. I have confidence that these scum will be brought to justice. Let this be a lesson to anyone who comes near our family again, that you will be punished. You won't get away with this. Breeding children for slaves, child soldiers, or parts will be punished to the fullest extent of the law! That will be the case no matter whose child it is, but especially for Uchihas." Sasuke says.

Gina wanted to argue with him. A child was a child. Their bloodline was irrelevant in this case. Deep down, she knew that her lover knew that. Unfortunately, she could see the truth reflected in his eyes. Sasuke wouldn't listen to her right now.

He was angry. Her husband was angry and afraid about what had almost happened or still might happen to their family. The Uchiha Patriarch simply wasn't thinking straight. He would need some time to get over this and she was going to respect that.

"Of course!" Someone from the crowd shouts.

Well that was all it took. Soon enough, similar calls were made. Gina couldn't help, but smile in response at the display of support and loyalty.

"They're good people." Sasuke whispers to her.

"Yes, they are. So are you. You just need to remember who you are now. You're my husband, the man I love, and you're going to be a father. You can't let your temper get the better of you anymore. I promise that they will pay for what they did. They will pay for what they tried to do. You just have to be patient." She whispers into his ears as the cheers continue to ring throughout the village square.

Sasuke simply nods at that. Gina doubted that he really knew what to say to her declaration. It didn't matter though.

She could see that he had heard her. Sasuke would listen to her. Well most of the time. The red head doubted that he would listen to her at the moment about a child being a child, but they would get there.

"Let's go home. Our work is done here for the moment and you need your rest." He murmurs as he caresses her cheek tenderly.

"Sasuke, I'm pregnant. I'm not sick. I don't need to rest. I'm fine." The Kazekage protests half-heartedly.

Gina knew that it was a losing battle though. Sasuke had always been protective of her since they got together, but he had become even more so after she became pregnant. The young Kage supposed that she might as well get used to it.

Sasuke was likely going to act this way until she had their baby. Not only that, but he would probably do the same for all of her pregnancies. She supposed that it was only natural though. He had lost one family. So he wanted to protect his second one.

"Well there's no reason to overdo it, anyway." He says as he scoops her up Bridal Style and Flickers them off.

Gina couldn't help, but roll her eyes at this move. Unbelievable. Did Sasuke want to set their villagers' tongues wagging or something?

One didn't just teleport a Kage off while carrying them Bridal Style! Oh boy. He had definitely given the children something to write about for their school paper tomorrow. Gina doubted that they would ever hear the end of it.

"You're impossible." She grumbles.

"Impossibly in love with you and you're beautiful. Beautiful and stubborn. Get some rest." He tells her as he gently sets her on the bed and soon lays down beside her.

Impossible. That's what it was. It was impossible to stay mad at him, she muses once again. This was especially so when he had to go and say things like that!

"Smooth." She concedes with a sigh as she curls up next to him.

"Thank you. I do try." He tells her as he wraps the blankets around them.

She always liked sleeping next to her husband with the covers wrapped around them. It was nice an cozy. Gina felt safe and cherished in moments like this.

"You succeed. Just don't let that go to your head." She mutters.

"Mmm. Too late for that. I have a beautiful red head and a Kage for my wife. Kinda hard not to get a big ego, considering those things." He retorts smugly.

"You're lucky that I love you. If I didn't, I'd Sand Coffin you for being such a cocky bastard." She murmurs.

"Yes, I know that I'm very lucky you love me. Eh. You know that I was a cocky bastard when you married me. So yeah. You kinda have to deal with it." He states arrogantly.

She rolls her eyes playfully in response to that retort. Sadly, she couldn't really argue with that. It was true.

"Whatever. Goodnight, vamp." She tells him as she closes her eyes and dozes off.

"Goodnight, Strawberry." He teases her and with that, Sasuke shuts his eyes and soon joins his wife in the Land of Dreams.


	22. Chapter 22

The Color Red

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the ending to **The Color Red.** It's been a long journey, but I'm proud to say that this story is finished.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter feature features a major time skip. Several months have passed since the last one.

Chapter 22

"Wahhh!" An infant's cries rang throughout the delivery room, several months later.

Gina watches the medic like a hawk as she inspects her child. The child that she had spent nine months carrying inside her and was now coming into the world with a Banshee Shriek. Not that the red head could blame her.

It had to be jarring to be inside the womb and then suddenly outside of it. The lights of the hospital room were bright and probably scarring the poor thing half to death. Not to mention, Gina suspected that her daughter was probably cold. Cold and confused. Why wouldn't she be crying?

"You were amazing." Sasuke whispers to Gina as he brushes his lips against hers.

The Kazekage does her best to return the kiss. She was exhausted though. She wanted so badly to sleep, but she knew that she couldn't. Not until she knew that their baby was okay and fed.

"Is she alright?" Gina asks him and the medic desperately.

The young mother knew that she had given birth to a daughter and not a son because of the ultrasound. A few months ago, they had found out the gender of their firstborn. A girl.

 _"Congratulations, you're having a girl." The medic told them._

 _Gina blinked. She didn't know why she was so surprised. It was going to be a girl or a boy._

 _She supposed that hearing the gender of their baby, made it real somehow. Her belly was now considerably rounder than it had been, but a gender made it seem more real. She really was going to be a mother in a few short months._

 _"Then it looks like the Sand will have a Princess soon enough." Sasuke said smugly as he kissed her cheek._

 _"A Princess?" Gina replied as she raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's fatherly pride._

 _"Well you are Kazekage. That could be considered close to a King or a Queen. So it makes sense that our daughter would be considered the Princess of the Sand Village." He said._

 _Gina was about to explain why that logic was ridiculous, but she didn't have the heart to. Sasuke was so proud. Well at least she didn't have to worry about him being disappointed that they weren't having a son, it seemed._

 _"I love you. You do get the strangest notions in your head sometimes though." She whispered as she kissed him._

 _"I love you too and she is a Princess. Our Princess." Sasuke told her._

 _Gina sighed. Right. Well she was just going to have to indulge him in this little nickname. Sasuke seemed to have his heart set on it._

 _"Mhm. Our Princess." She agreed and Sasuke smiled at her in response._

 _Well how was she supposed to resist that smile? It still made her heart skip a beat and her stomach do flip flops in a most enjoyable way. Those two things should have been painful, but they weren't._

 _"That's right and you'll always be the Queen of my heart." He promised her._

"Congratulations, Lady Kazekage and Sasuke. You're the proud parents of a perfectly healthy baby girl." The medic says, a few moments later as she walks over and gently places the bundle of joy into Gina's arms.

The young mother looks down at her daughter curiously and smiles. She had definitely inherited Sasuke's raven black hair and ivory pale skin. Her eyes though were just like hers, even with the markings around them. That struck her as a bit odd. She was a baby, she shouldn't have developed them from insomnia yet. Still the effect was rather adorable.

Their daughter definitely had her smile, nose, and facial features. Though Gina notes with some amusement, she definitely had her father's ears. Idly, she wonders if the fact the girl had aqua eyes instead of black meant that she wouldn't have the Sharingan.

"Thank you." Sasuke says with a proud smile as he looks down at the bundle in Gina's arms.

"Mmm do you think she'll be able to muse her Sharingan? Her eyes are like mine. Not yours." She tells him.

"She'll be able to use it. The iris color has little to do with it. My are naturally black. They turn red. Besides, not everyone in our Clan was born into it. There were times when people would marry others who weren't Uchihas. For the most part, we had dark eyes and hair. There were a few people who didn't though. My grandfather had blue eyes and his Sharingan activated and functioned normally." Sasuke assures her.

Gina briefly tries to picture Sasuke with blue eyes. It was difficult, but a rather pleasant picture. Though she knew the truth. To her, he was perfect just the way that he was. She wouldn't change a thing.

"That's good to know. Do you like her?" She asks.

"Gina, she's our daughter. I love her. Of course, I do. She's perfect. Just like her mother." Her husband promises her and the red head smiles in response.

That was good. She would have been furious, if he didn't. Childbirth was the most excruciating thing that she had ever experienced! He had better adore their daughter or else her sand would **make** him!

"Good. That was the correct answer. The wrong answer would have resulted in you being thrown through that window by my sand until you learned to play more nicely." She warns him as she smiles and feeds her daughter.

She was such a sweet little thing, now that she had settled down. Their daughter was cuddled up to her so cutely as she fed. It had been worth every damn contraction, she decides.

"Very funny. We should probably decide on a name before the loser and others charge in here." Sasuke warns her as Gina nods in agreement.

That was a good point. It was nothing short of a miracle that Naruto and the others hadn't already. Hmm. A name. What should they call their child?

Names were important. She would be stuck with whatever they chose for the rest of her life. She wanted something that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone dumb enough to stand against their family like those Black Market Dealers and the Buyers, but also something attractive.

"True. Let me think about it for a moment." She whispers as she frowns at the memory of the Dealers and the Buyers.

 _The Dealers had been annoying to track down, but the Buyers were easy. Well at least that was Gina's opinion on the matter. Sasuke and Naruto had tracked them down easily because most of them were extremely wealthy and public figures. It hadn't taken long for the trials to start and the blood to flow._

 _"Are you alright, Sasuke?" She asked in concern._

 _Her lover was growing more and more agitated as the trials went on. They couldn't attend every one in person. There were simply too many and some of them were too far away._

 _The Kazekage suspected that Sasuke wanted to attend all of them though. He wanted to see them punished. Punished for what they had tried to do to their family. The fact that he couldn't, well it was obviously weighing on him._

 _"As okay as I'm going to be until they're all dead or rotting somewhere." He admitted._

 _"Most of them are civilians. They have no chance of evading prosecution. Come to bed, My love. Let me take your mind off of your troubles." She whispered as she caressed his cheek._

 _Those bastards had been responsible for Sasuke's kidnapping. They had nearly forcibly revived her husband's Clan without his consent and they had worried him sick. She would be glad when they were all dead and locked up._

 _"Alright. How are you feeling?" He asked in concern as his eyes drifted towards her stomach._

 _"Fat and worried about you mostly." She confessed._

 _"Gina, you are not fat. You're pregnant. You're supposed to be getting bigger. You look beautiful. You're glowing, really." He told her and the red head smiled in response._

 _He was such a liar. She looked like a damn Pufferfish. Though she would allow him that white lie. Sasuke was just so excited about their child that she could put up with a few indignities._

 _"I'm glad you think so. Now, come prove it to me." She whispered as she kissed him._

 _They spent the rest of the night in each other's arms. The place where she felt safest. The most cherish. By the time that the Sun rose, she felt considerably more relaxed to say the least._

"Yoko. It means Child of the Sun. You're my beautiful Moon and she'll be my Sun." She tells him with a smile.

"Yoko Uchiha. It's a beautiful name." Sasuke says approvingly as he kisses her cheek.

The moment of serenity did not last long though. Naruto came barging in and he wasn't the only one. Temari, Kankuro, Sakura, Karin, Kakashi, and even Tsunade rushed inside. It was an ambush!

"Congratulations, bastard!" Naruto says brightly.

"Naruto, be nice!" The blonde's wife scolds him lightly.

Yes, Karin and Naruto were now married. Sasuke wasn't really sure how two such boisterous personalities could coexist peacefully in the same household, but they did seem happy. Really, he was just happy that Karin was no longer interested in him. He had another sexy red head in his life and he wouldn't trade Gina for the world.

"Thank you, loser." Sasuke mutters as he rolls his eyes good-naturedly at his friend.

He couldn't believe it, but he was actually a father. He had two women in his life now and they were both beautiful. His wife and his daughter.

"Oh God! She's so cute!" Sakura says as she rushes over to look down at Yoko.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He knew that he was probably biased, but he had never seen a more adorable baby. He smiles and caresses Gina's cheek as everyone had a look.

"Just to let you know, it's probably going to take awhile before you're ready to resume your Kazekage Duties. Take it easy." Tsunade advises Gina.

"Mmm. I know. She's worth it though." She says as she smiles down at their daughter.

Their daughter. She was really theirs. Sasuke could scarcely believe that he had helped to make something so tiny and so innocent. And for now, so fragile.

He feels a surge of protectiveness overwhelm him at that last thought. He wasn't going to let anything happen to either of them. His wife or his daughter. Sasuke would make sure that it never happened again. His family would never wiped out again.

"Awe. Look at her chubby little cheeks. She's so cute!" Sakura says as she pinches the girl's cheeks.

Yoko didn't care for that too much. She lets out a rather loud wail. That didn't surprise Sasuke. He probably would have done the same thing, if positions were reversed. What did surprise him is what happened next.

Suddenly, Yoko was surrounded by smoke and small flames. Sakura is immediately forced to let go of her cheeks and jumps away. She had been burned.

"Well she's definitely daddy's little girl. It seems like she has fire chakra and it manifests in a way similar to Gina's sand." Kakashi notes in amusement.

"That would have been nice to know about two minutes ago." Sakura whines as she quickly runs her hands under the cold water of the sink.

"Wow. You two made a super baby. So what's her name?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

Yes. They had made a super baby. The best baby in the whole damn world as far as Sasuke was concerned.

"Yoko. It means Child of the Sun." Sasuke explains.

"Well that's fitting. She does live in the desert." Shikamaru says with a yawn though he smiles ate the newborn.

"I'm so proud of you, Gina. I knew that you could do it. She's so cute. I'd ask if I could hold her, but I think that it's probably best to let her settle down first." Temari says.

Sasuke nods in agreement. That was probably a good idea. He really didn't want to risk his Sister-In-Law getting burnt as well.

"She's adorable, Gina. Really. I have to admit that I had my doubts that you two were a good match, but I guess it all worked out in the end. You better take good care of both of them though." The puppet master warns Sasuke.

Sasuke rolls his eyes in response. Kankuro didn't think that he could actually hurt him, did he? Was he really that stupid? The other ninja wouldn't last two seconds going up against him and they both knew that.

"I plan to. You don't have to worry about that. I don't want to be cruel, but you should all leave. Gina needs her rest and Yoko is obviously grumpy from having her cheeks pinched." Sasuke informs them.

The others grumble, but they soon clear out. Sasuke sigh in relief. Good. Now, they could enjoy some nice, quiet family time.

Two weeks later and the small family was now back in the Kazekage Mansion. Earlier that day, they introduced Aoda and Garuda to Yoko. Needless to say, it had apparently been love at first sight.

"Who would have thought that a giant snake would make such a great babysitter? Mmm. I almost get the hawk thing. I mean the phrase watch you like a hawk, had to come from somewhere though." Gina asks with a quiet laugh as she stands outside and watches the two Summons fawn over the newborn.

"Mmm. Aoda really is such a golden retriever. He just happens to be trapped in a snake's body." Sasuke says as he wraps his arms around her protectively and kisses the top of her head.

Yoko was fearless. She had absolutely no fear of either Summon. Though Sasuke suspected that somehow, she just sensed their intentions were friendly and that was probably why. Still it was rather astounding to say the least.

"Mmm yes. I'm beginning to see that. Well I guess you don't have to worry about teaching her the Fireball Jutsu later on." The red head muses.

"Nope. Definitely not. She's going to be a powerful ninja, one day. I suppose to a degree, she already is." Sasuke observes with pride.

Gina nods and that's when a smaller hawk appears in the sky. It flies over to them with a note on its leg. Curiously, Sasuke opens it and reads the letter.

 _ **Dear Lady Kazekage and Sasuke Uchiha,**_

 _ **Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I regret that my behavior towards the both of you has been less than appropriate at times. I only behaved that way because I was worried about the Lady Kazekage though!**_

 _ **In any case, forgive an old man. I was far too quick to judge. Oh and Mei does apologize for her own meddling as well. Though I'll admit there is another reason why, I'm writing you.**_

 _ **It seems that Shibuki is now engaged. Me asked me to write you the wedding details and would like for you both to attend. With your daughter, if at all possible. Though naturally, he understands if that's not possible.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Onoki the Stone Kage.**_

"That was surprisingly big of him. He was far from our biggest supporter." Gina mutters.

"Well I suppose it would be poor form not to go. Shibuki is getting married to someone else and he knows that we're married. That we have a kid. So he's not going to be stupid enough to give you red roses this time. So I might be able to tolerate him." Sasuke says.

"Mmm. I can't believe that you're still sore about the roses." She says.

"Well of course, I'm sore about the roses. I know what red roses mean and I'm sure that you do as well." He states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The blank look that his wife gives him in response, makes Sasuke raise an eyebrow. She really didn't know? Surely, Gina was joking. She had to know the symbolism of red roses.

"This should prove most entertaining. What's so bad about red roses?" She asks.

"Well it's not bad necessarily. It's just generally they only have two meanings." Sasuke mutters awkwardly.

"Uh huh and what are these meanings?" She asks as she crosses her arms.

Sasuke gulps. Maybe, he shouldn't have brought this topic up. If she really didn't know, it might have been the wiser move to keep his mouth shut.

"Well usually it's when a man wants to apologize to a woman or to seduce her." He states.

It was probably best to make the explanation more elegant than his original thoughts on the matter. He really didn't want to get smacked around by her sand. Not that he couldn't handle it, it just wasn't fun.

That was mostly because he didn't have the heart to spar with her at the moment. She had just given birth two weeks ago. It wouldn't be fair.

"That's ridiculous." Gina says and she rolls her eyes at him.

"It is not. Remember that time that I gave you roses, after you were angry with me for fighting with your sister? What about on your birthday?" He reminds her.

Gina blinks. When he put it that way, it suddenly all made a lot of sense. Well fine. She could let him "win" this argument.

"I concede that there may be some merit into your explanation." She says with a sigh as she kisses him.

"Oh there MAY be some merit, huh?" He asks with a smirk between kisses.

"Mhm." The Kazekage replies with a smile.

The smile only continues to grow as she snuggles into her husband's embracer and watches Yoko play with Aoda and Garuda. Their child was going to be so spoiled, but she just didn't have the heart to do otherwise. Yoko was too adorable not to give her everything that she wanted. Hopefully, she'd be more firm as she got older.

"So I was thinking maybe, two years?" Sasuke asks.

"Two years for what?" Gina replies in confusion.

"Till we give her a little brother or a little sister. I figure by then, she'll be walking and talking. That and it'll give you plenty of time to recover." Sasuke reasons.

Oh boy. She was going to have to put her foot down. As charming as it was to see Sasuke in Proud Papa mode, she was definitely not going to for double digits. She was going to nip that notion in the bud right now.

"No more than five." She states firmly.

"I can work with five. I'd say at least three though." Sasuke informs her with a smirk.

She was going to have to stand strong here. She was not going to give into the smirk. Nope. She knew that was just him luring her into further negotiation.

"Very well. Three to five. That's my final offer." Gina retorts.

"Sounds good to me. Maybe the next one will be a red head. It is a long shot. Red hair is recessive." He muses as he rests his head on top of hers.

"That would be fitting. Red is a very passionate color." She observes thoughtfully.

She probably shouldn't have said that. Sasuke was naturally going to ask why she said that. The Kazekage estimated that in the next five minutes, she was going to feel very silly.

"How so?" Sasuke asks and Gina inwardly groans.

She had expected that. Though at this point in their relationship, that was only natural. They were lovers, husband and wife, and now had a child together. Of course, she was going to know how he would respond in any given situation.

"Lots of things are red. My hair. Blood. Your Sharingan. It's a color strongly associated with passion and angry. A bold color. It can't really be ignored easily. It's the color that I think of most, when I think of you." She admits with a whisper.

Sasuke tilts his head at this response as he considers it. That was rather detailed. It didn't sound like something she had made up on the spot. That only further heightened his curiosity.

His wife was an introvert by nature. Sasuke had always found it a bit odd that his introverted red head was the Kazekage, but he digressed. That was just part of who he was. She rarely gushed or went about giving long and sappy declarations.

"I think that's very accurate. You've thought about this before though." He murmurs as he cups her cheek tenderly.

That meant when she did feel poetic, it was best to encourage her. Gina was certainly a woman who preferred to show affection more through her actions than her words. Which was just fine with him, really. Well most of the time.

It was still nice to her the declarations, whenever they came his way. Sasuke couldn't complain though. They were both simply wired that way.

"Maybe, a few times." She confesses as she glances at him shyly.

They had both lived hard lives before getting together. They had both tasted darkness. Sharing themselves with someone else wasn't something that came easily for either of them, but he knew that she loved him.

He loved her. That's what mattered most. Still he wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity to get more insight into her rather unique thought processes slip through his fingers.

"Mmm a few times?" He asks skeptically.

"Alright. A lot of times." She admits as she burrows into his embrace.

Sasuke smiles at this and glances at their daughter. She was still giggling at something Aoda was telling her. He doubted that she understood a word of it, but silly faces and baby voices were universal.

"How long?" The other ninja inquires.

"Mmm. Probably almost as long as I've known you. As I said, we're kindred spirits. I was always curious about you." Gina tells him as Sasuke remembers a part of their first meeting.

 _"Hey, you there! What's your name?!" Sasuke demanded._

 _"Me?" Temari asked as she giggled._

 _Sasuke shook his head. Honestly, another Sakura. Why were girls always giggling? Well except for the red head. She didn't seem like the giggling type._

 _"No. Not you. The one with the gourd on your back." The young Genin clarified._

 _"Gina Sabaku of the Sand. I'm curious about you too." She replied._

Sasuke chuckles at the memory. Well Gina might not be the most talkative ninja outside of the bedroom, but she had always spoken her mind. Apparently, she had really meant what she said on that day.

"I remember you saying that. I just didn't think that it was that kind of curiosity." He says with a smirk.

"Mmm. Back then, it wasn't. I didn't know what a crush was and I certainly never expected it to grow into love, but I'm glad that it did." She whispers.

"I feel the same way." Sasuke tells her.

He really did. The Uchiha couldn't imagine his life without her and Yoko in it anymore. He couldn't believe that it was all thanks to a color. The color red, but he was damn grateful that it had happened.

"So what other colors do you like?" He asks.

"Mmm you'll find out in a few weeks. After, I've had time to recover. Temari bought me quite a few lingerie sets to model for you. They come in a wide variety of colors. Red is one of them." She informs him as she walks over and scoops up their daughter, taking her back inside the house.

God, he loved this woman. Though he couldn't lie. She could be an evil tease sometimes. Oh well. He supposed that just made Clan Restoration easier. After all, she had said up to five and they only had one daughter…so far. This was going to be fun, he thinks to himself with a smirk as he follows his beautiful wife inside their house.


End file.
